KHARTOUM –Sudan’s Justice Minister Abdallah Darrf said the state will not take criminal action against any Sudanese citizen for expressing views on the proposed Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, announcing legal guarantees aimed at reassuring political forces considering participation.
Speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday, Darrf said Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had approved dropping charges against participants in the dialogue and providing an environment that allows them to express their views and political positions freely.
He said the role of the state would be limited to creating suitable conditions for the dialogue, adding that participants would receive written guarantees protecting their right to take part and speak freely.
The justice minister also said any person entering Sudan to participate in the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue would enjoy immunity, but did not provide further details on the scope of that immunity or the mechanisms for applying it.
The remarks come amid concerns among Sudanese political forces that participants in any internal dialogue could face prosecution, arrest or legal restrictions if they return to Sudan or engage in discussions inside the country.
Al-Burhan previously said the state was ready to provide political, legal and security guarantees for participants in a proposed internal dialogue, while insisting that the government would not organize the process, determine its agenda or control its outcomes.
The proposed dialogue has divided Sudanese political forces. Supporters argue that it could create a Sudanese-owned path to end the war and rebuild political consensus, while critics say any process held inside areas controlled by one side of the conflict risks lacking credibility unless preceded by a ceasefire, humanitarian access and broader political freedoms.
Several anti-war political and civil forces meeting in Addis Ababa recently rejected Al-Burhan’s dialogue framework, saying Sudan needs a comprehensive peace process that begins with humanitarian measures, a cessation of hostilities and clear safeguards against domination by any party to the war.
The African Union Commission has welcomed the internal dialogue initiative, calling for an inclusive Sudanese-led process. However, several parties, including the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, the Sudanese Congress Party and the National Umma Party, have raised concerns over the timing, guarantees, independence and political context of the initiative.
Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has fragmented the political landscape and left competing initiatives struggling to gain broad trust.
The legal guarantees announced by the Justice Ministry appear aimed at addressing one of the key concerns surrounding the dialogue: whether participants can engage freely without fear of prosecution or retaliation.
