Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chief discusses peace efforts, political process with Quintet delegation

Adel Abdelrheem and Mohammad Sio

The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council discussed peace efforts and the country’s political process Wednesday with a delegation from the international Quintet Mechanism during its visit.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan received the delegation at the presidential palace in Khartoum, according to a statement by the Sovereignty Council.

The Quintet comprises the UN, the African Union, the European Union, the Arab League and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The meeting addressed “peace efforts and the political process in Sudan,” the council said.

Burhan welcomed the delegation and briefed its members on the overall developments in the country.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the African Union High-Level Panel on Sudan, described the meeting as “constructive” and said the visit aims to connect the Quintet’s efforts outside Sudan with Sudanese initiatives inside the country.

“We firmly believe that all our collective efforts will ultimately contribute to advancing a credible and inclusive political process that leads to a transition toward a democratic government reflecting the aspirations of the Sudanese people,” Chambas said.

He stressed the Quintet’s conviction that “there is no military solution to the war in Sudan.”

Chambas said any sustainable political process must be accompanied by “practical and concrete” steps to protect civilians and end hostilities.

He also reaffirmed the Quintet’s full respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and its rejection of establishing any parallel structures.

The Quintet delegation arrived in Sudan on Tuesday for a three-day visit to hold direct political consultations with relevant Sudanese parties.

On Monday, the mechanism said it would continue its engagement with the parties concerned in Sudan.

The Quintet has been leading efforts related to Sudan’s political process and sponsoring consultations among Sudanese civilian forces aimed at reaching an end to the war.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting over disagreements linked to the integration of the paramilitary group into the military establishment.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of Sudanese, displaced 13 million people and triggered famine amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.