Sudanese political and civil groups meeting in Addis Ababa have reached an agreement to form a preparatory committee for the political process, marking a significant breakthrough in efforts to address the country’s crisis.
The development drew direct international attention, with the Quad mechanism receiving a detailed briefing from Sudanese parties on the latest discussions and understandings reached during the talks.
Despite the positive atmosphere, disagreement over language concerning the former ruling National Congress Party and its affiliated bodies nearly derailed the agreement.
The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nur insisted that the document include a clear and explicit clause excluding the former ruling party and its fronts from the political process. The movement considered the clause a basic condition that could not be compromised.
The Democratic Bloc, however, objected to the direct wording and refused to include it in the main text. Other political groups appeared to agree in principle with Abdel Wahid Nur’s position, but argued that an explicit exclusion was unnecessary in the official document because the National Congress Party is already classified as excluded from the political process and cannot be part of it under any circumstances.
To overcome the dispute, which had threatened to end the meetings without results, the Sudanese parties agreed on a flexible political compromise based on two parallel documents.
Under the proposal, one document includes explicit wording excluding the National Congress Party and its affiliated groups. It is expected to be signed by all political blocs, youth groups and women’s groups, except the Democratic Bloc.
A second document, from which the clause has been removed, is expected to be signed by all participating parties and groups, except the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Nur.
