A Sudanese politician has accused the international Quintet Mechanism on Sudan of undermining efforts to build consensus for a political process aimed at ending the country’s conflict.
Babiker Faisal, head of the executive bureau of the Unionist Alliance and a key figure in the Somoud coalition, said on Wednesday, August 5, that the mechanism had deviated from an earlier agreement to establish a preparatory Committee for an inclusive political dialogue.
The Quintet Mechanism, made up of the African Union, United Nations, European Union, Arab League and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has been working to bridge divisions among Sudanese political forces.
Faisal accused the mechanism of inviting groups and individuals without clear criteria to consultations in Addis Ababa, including parties he claimed were aligned with the army. He argued that this violated the principle of Sudanese ownership of the political process.
He said the preparatory Committee was expected to determine the structure, agenda, participants and timeline of the dialogue while ensuring that the process remained led by Sudanese actors. The Somoud and Tasis coalitions, along with other groups, boycotted the recent consultations over disagreements about the mechanism’s approach and participants.
Faisal also accused the army leadership of attempting to create a “fake” political process while pursuing military gains against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He claimed that a successful military campaign would be used to strengthen the army’s legitimacy and reshape Sudan’s political landscape.
He called for greater unity among civilian forces to push for a genuine political settlement and a sustainable end to the war.