The African Union Peace and Security Council and the EU Political and Security Committee, meeting in Addis Ababa on 6 November, demanded an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities in Sudan and rejected any attempt to establish a 'parallel government'.
The African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) and the European Union's Political and Security Committee (EU PSC) "demanded the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities" in Sudan in a joint communiqué issued after their 17th annual joint consultative meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday 6 November.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Antonin B. Bieke of Côte d'Ivoire, who chairs the AU PSC for November, and Ambassador Lene Mandel Vensild, permanent chair of the EU PSC. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye and the European External Action Service's managing director for Africa, Patricia Llombart, also attended. A joint retreat on maritime security, counter-terrorism and other issues was held the day before.
What the communiqué says on Sudan
The two bodies expressed deep concern at the conflict's effect on civilians and public infrastructure and stressed that "there is no military solution". They called for the protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, a permanent ceasefire and a return to negotiations, followed by an inclusive national dialogue and a "Sudanese civilian-led political transition" leading to elections.
They condemned "all forms of external interference" and urged all external actors to stop military and financial support for the warring parties. They "strongly rejected any attempts to establish the so-called 'parallel government' in Sudan" and reaffirmed Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The communiqué took note of the reopening of the AU liaison office in Khartoum, recalled the AU PSC's field visit to Khartoum in August and commended the work of the Quintet.
The "parallel government" language refers to the Government of Peace and Unity formed by the Tasis alliance, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, in areas held by the Rapid Support Forces and allied groups. CERHA found no response to the communiqué from Tasis or from the authorities in Port Sudan at the time of writing.
Somalia and AUSSOM
On Somalia, the two bodies commended the federal government and the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and its troop-contributing countries, but expressed deep concern over the mission's financial and operational challenges. They called for a Somalia-led assessment of the impact of the expected drawdown of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and for adequate, predictable funding for AU-led operations, including through UN Security Council resolution 2719.
The next joint consultative meeting is due in Brussels in 2027. The EU PSC delegation had held separate security and defence talks in Djibouti earlier in the week.
Image: The African Union Conference Centre at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Andrew Moore, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.