Sudanese political and civil forces opposed to the war and independent of its two warring sides have called for excluding the dissolved National Congress Party, the Islamist movement, and their affiliated entities from the anticipated political process. They also rejected granting legitimacy to de facto authorities that emerged as a result of the war.
The demands were raised during a meeting held on Monday, October 12, 2026, between representatives of these forces and the Quintet Mechanism at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting focused on ways to end the war and launch a Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned peace process.
Civil Forces Call for Excluding Figures Linked to the Former Regime
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the participating forces stressed the need for independent political and civil groups not aligned with either side of the war to play an effective role in designing and leading the political process.
They called for excluding the National Congress Party, the Islamist movement, and their affiliated entities from any future political arrangements, arguing that such a step would prevent forces associated with the former regime from being reintroduced into the political transition.
The groups also rejected legitimizing de facto authorities created by the war, stressing that preserving Sudan's unity requires a comprehensive political settlement based on civilian will rather than military power.
The delegation included representatives of the Sudanese Declaration of Principles, the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces "Sumoud," the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nour, the Popular Congress Party, as well as civil society organizations, women's and youth networks, and public figures.
Immediate Humanitarian Truce and Three Tracks for Ending the War
The civil forces placed an immediate and unconditional humanitarian truce at the top of their priorities, describing it as an urgent step to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected, and create conditions for launching a comprehensive peace process.
They presented the Quintet Mechanism with a vision based on three interconnected tracks:
- Urgent humanitarian response to address the consequences of the war and the needs of civilians.
- A ceasefire as a key step toward creating an environment conducive to a political settlement.
- A comprehensive political dialogue addressing the roots of the crisis and paving the way for a just peace and a sustainable civilian democratic transition.
The groups stressed that the success of the political process requires genuine participation by Sudanese civil forces in establishing its foundations and managing its stages, preventing the settlement from being reduced to agreements between armed parties.
Call for Expanding the Arms Embargo
As part of efforts to limit the continuation of the fighting, the political and civil forces called for expanding the arms embargo to cover the entire territory of Sudan and for ending forms of external support that contribute to prolonging the conflict.
They also called for cutting off sources of military financing and imposing pressure measures on the parties to the war and those obstructing peace efforts, in addition to holding accountable those responsible for violations and atrocities committed against civilians.
The groups stressed the importance of linking diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war with practical measures that limit the ability of the warring parties to continue fighting.
Calls to Coordinate International Mediation Efforts
The Sudanese political and civil forces called for coordinating regional and international efforts related to the Sudan crisis under a joint framework that brings together the Quad, the Quintet Mechanism, and the Troika, with the aim of reducing the fragmentation of initiatives and improving prospects for a comprehensive political settlement.
The groups said they would continue communicating with regional and international mechanisms dealing with the Sudanese crisis and would work to turn diplomatic efforts into practical steps to halt the war and alleviate the humanitarian suffering.
They also renewed their call to broaden the participation of civil forces opposed to the war and independent of its two sides, while coordinating their efforts to restore Sudanese citizens' right to security, freedom, and civilian democratic governance.
The groups said, from their perspective, that ending the war is linked to completing the objectives of Sudan's December Revolution and building a civilian democratic state based on peace, justice, and broad political participation, while rejecting military dominance and the return of networks associated with the former regime to power.
The implementation of these demands, however, will depend on the ability of Sudanese civil forces and regional and international mediators to translate the proposed political visions into practical arrangements acceptable to Sudan's various political and social actors.