Sudanese civilian forces are set to embark on a four-day conference over the weekend in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The meetings aim focus on devising strategies to terminate the persisting conflict in Sudan.
Fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted on April 15 over tensions linked to a planned transition to civilian rule. It has devastated the capital Khartoum and sparked ethnically driven attacks in Darfur.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Misbah Ahmed Mohammed, the Head of Media for the National Umma Party and a prominent figure within the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), confirmed the commencement of the preparatory meeting for the comprehensive civil front dedicated to ending the war, slated to begin on October 21.
The assembly is expected to bring together over seventy participants, representing diverse civil entities, including political and civil factions, resistance committees, notable national figures, and representatives of various peace initiatives.
Mohammed expounded on the objectives of this gathering, asserting, “The goal of this meeting is to prepare for the general conference of the Civil Front, which is expected to be held in the first half of November.”
He clarified that the meeting seeks to formulate a unified political vision to halt the conflict and revive the course of democratic civil transformation.
“The meeting comes after extensive consultations took place between the Communications Authority, the political and civil components, the resistance committees, and various civil society bodies,” he remarked.
The leader of the FFC unveiled that discussions among civil forces led to the establishment of a preparatory committee. He stated, “This committee discusses the issues and agenda presented at the meeting and agrees on a draft of the political vision that will be presented to the General Conference for approval.”
Furthermore, Mohammed expressed the need to establish a specific structure for the civil front to oversee the political process in the subsequent phase, with the aim of ending the conflict, addressing its underlying political issues, and establishing a transitional period.
He underscored the importance of this meeting as a starting point for unifying civil forces that had previously been marred by disagreements. “Now, there is a clear determination to unite in their pursuit of ending the war that has ravaged the nation and reinstating the path of democratic civil transformation, coupled with an institutional reform initiative for the state,” Mohammed said.
The gathering is expected to yield a vision and working papers that will be presented at the General Conference. Mohammed recommended that the conference be convened in the early part of November to rally support from revolutionary forces and those advocating an end to the conflict, with the objective of establishing a broad civil-democratic front committed to the restoration of civil-democratic transformation and peace.