KHARTOUM –Sudan’s Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Somoud) called on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately accept a humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities, while welcoming a recent U.S. statement rejecting rule based on military force.
In a statement issued by its Political Communication and Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, Sept. 24, Somoud welcomed the first joint meeting of the Quad and Quintet on Sudan, describing it as a step toward better coordination of regional and international efforts to end the war. The African Union said the meeting focused on a humanitarian truce, cessation of hostilities and an inclusive Sudanese-led political process.
The alliance said an immediate humanitarian truce should serve as a pathway toward a comprehensive ceasefire, stronger mechanisms to protect civilians and improved humanitarian access.
It also called for a political process owned and led by Sudanese civilians that would lead to sustainable peace and a democratic civilian transition.
Somoud reiterated its position that there is “no military solution” to the Sudan crisis and argued that political legitimacy should derive from the free will of the Sudanese people rather than military control or a fait accompli imposed by force.
The alliance said Sudan had lacked legitimate constitutional rule since the military takeover of Oct. 25, 2021, when the military dissolved the civilian-military power-sharing arrangement that had emerged after the fall of Omar al-Bashir.
Somoud also welcomed the U.S. State Department’s latest position that neither the SAF nor the RSF and their leaders constitute legitimate constitutional governance, saying the stance aligned with its own rejection of military rule and support for an inclusive political path.
The U.S. statement also urged both sides to accept an immediate humanitarian truce without preconditions and commit to a civilian political process, while warning that Washington would seek to increase the cost of continued fighting for the warring parties and their support networks.
The Somoud statement came as international mediators intensified coordination over Sudan. The African Union said the joint Quad-Quintet meeting identified three priorities: a humanitarian truce, cessation of hostilities and an inclusive Sudanese-owned dialogue.
The alliance said ending the war was the starting point for rebuilding legitimate governance, protecting state institutions and preserving Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and control over its territory and resources.
Somoud also called on Sudanese inside the country and abroad to continue working toward an end to the conflict and a civilian democratic transition.
The position differs from that of Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi, who has warned against accepting a ceasefire without guarantees for Sudan’s unity and the return of people displaced from their homes.
