Khartoum – Sudan Now
Sudanese civilian and political groups participating in the Sudanese Declaration of Principles meetings said they had approved a series of political and strategic documents, including a roadmap aimed at ending the war and launching a new democratic civilian process in Sudan.
In a final statement issued after meetings held on May 22 and 23 under the slogan “Towards Building a New Nation,” the coalition said the proposed roadmap was based on a Sudanese-led political process linked to a ceasefire, humanitarian issues and democratic civilian transition.
The initiative comes amid deep divisions among Sudanese civilian forces and repeated setbacks facing regional and international mediation efforts seeking to end the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023.
The statement said the proposed political process should not be limited to what it described as a settlement between the warring parties, but should instead address the roots of Sudan’s crisis and lead to lasting peace and transitional justice.
The coalition also stressed the need for accountability and rejected what it described as attempts to reproduce partial political settlements that had previously failed to achieve sustainable peace.
Participants said the political process must remain Sudanese-led while involving broad participation from civilian groups opposed to the war. The statement warned against multiple competing negotiation tracks, saying they had weakened previous peace efforts.
The alliance reiterated its rejection of any proposals aimed at dividing Sudan, describing the country’s unity as non-negotiable, while also warning against hate speech and regional or tribal incitement.
Warnings over the risk of state fragmentation and institutional collapse have increased in recent months as fighting expanded across several regions and humanitarian and economic conditions continued to deteriorate.
The statement also called for the formation of a broad civilian front to coordinate political, diplomatic and public efforts aimed at ending the war and alleviating civilian suffering.
The coalition said it remained open to groups supporting democratic civilian transition and urged regional and international actors, as well as humanitarian organizations, to support peace efforts and unify diplomatic initiatives related to Sudan.
According to United Nations estimates, millions of Sudanese people have been displaced internally or forced to flee to neighboring countries since the start of the conflict.
Participants in the meetings included Abdalla Hamdok, leader of the Somoud coalition, Abdel Wahid al-Nur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Omar al-Digair, head of the Sudanese Congress Party, and Yasser Arman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Democratic Revolutionary Current, in addition to Al-Wathiq al-Bereir, secretary-general of the National Umma Party.
