A senior figure in the Sudan Founding Alliance, known as TASIS, has taken part in closed British-hosted discussions on Sudan, marking a further sign of the coalition’s growing engagement with international and regional policymakers.
Nasredeen Abdulbari, a former Sudanese justice minister and prominent TASIS leader, attended the three-day meeting at Wilton Park in West Sussex alongside representatives from the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states, according to Middle East Eye.
The talks, which began on Wednesday and concluded on Friday, were organised with the involvement of Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Sudan’s army-aligned authorities in Port Sudan were not invited.
Wilton Park, based at Wiston House, operates as an executive agency of the British Foreign Office and convenes confidential discussions involving governments, experts and international organisations.
Unlike most Wilton Park events, the Sudan meeting was not publicly listed on the institution’s website. British government sources described it as a “discreet” gathering, while a Wilton Park employee confirmed that the meeting was taking place.
The participation of Abdulbari is politically significant as the Port Sudan authorities and their allies have sought to portray TASIS as internationally isolated because of its partnership with the Rapid Support Forces.
Instead, the meeting indicates that TASIS figures remain involved in discussions among influential international and regional actors over Sudan’s political future and efforts to end the war.
Abdulbari previously served as justice minister during Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government and played a prominent role in legal reforms introduced after the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The presence of Emirati representatives also attracted attention because Abu Dhabi has repeatedly been accused by the army-aligned authorities of supporting the RSF. The UAE denies supplying weapons or military assistance to the force.
Port Sudan officials reacted angrily to their exclusion from the meeting.
Amgad Farid, an adviser to the army-aligned Transitional Sovereignty Council, accused Britain of publicly expressing concern about alleged RSF abuses while privately inviting figures associated with the coalition to discuss Sudan’s future.
Farid said the Port Sudan authorities had little confidence in the British initiative and questioned why the talks were being conducted away from public scrutiny.
The British Foreign Office did not publicly disclose the agenda or the complete list of participants. No formal statement or concluding declaration had been issued following the meeting.
The talks come as international mediators seek to revive diplomatic efforts to end Sudan’s war and establish a broader political process involving civilian forces.
TASIS formed a parallel civilian administration in territories outside the control of the army-aligned government, presenting itself as an alternative to the authorities operating from Port Sudan.
Its participation at Wilton Park suggests that attempts to exclude the alliance from international discussions have not succeeded, even as disagreements continue among foreign governments over which Sudanese political and military actors should be involved in future negotiations.
