Sudan’s army chief holds undisclosed talks aiming at national dialogue conference

What happened

Al Jazeera reports that Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has conducted unannounced consultations with political and civil society actors, which have produced preliminary agreements on steps to enable a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue conference. These include proposals to drop death penalty charges against opposition leaders and to form a preparatory committee for the conference, according to anonymous political sources familiar with the discussions.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The talks, conducted against the backdrop of the war ongoing since April 2023 between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), focus on building a climate conducive to dialogue. Participants have reportedly agreed on halting negative media campaigns against political opponents and suspending several criminal charges linked to opponents of the army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council, including members of the Somoud Alliance, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Somoud denies accusations of supporting the RSF, though allegations persist.

The agreed preparatory committee would comprise independent, widely accepted figures tasked with determining the conference agenda, participants, timing, venue, and international monitoring involvement. The meetings also included a broad range of Sudanese political leaders, local authorities, Sufi order leaders, academics, and resistance committees, aiming to build national consensus and a political project, according to Hatem al-Sir, adviser to a political party leader.

Known from the source

• Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan held undisclosed talks with political and civil society figures aiming to pave way for a Sudanese dialogue conference.
• Political sources reported agreement on halting death penalty charges against opposition leaders and forming a preparatory committee for the conference.
• The consultations reportedly include proposals to end media campaigns against political opponents.
• The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has been ongoing since April 2023.
• The Quintet has been trying to mediate political dialogue but faces criticism and limited success.

What remains unclear

Meanwhile, the Quintet—comprising the UN, AU, EU, IGAD, and Arab League—has struggled in parallel talks to broker agreement among Sudan’s rival political factions on the conference framework. The Somoud Alliance and other groups have criticized the Quintet for a perceived loss of neutrality and insufficient inclusiveness, accusing it of fostering a process favoring army-aligned parties rather than broad Sudanese ownership. Somoud’s leadership has also accused the army of exploiting military developments to push a political process that would entrench its authority and legitimacy internationally.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Confirm the exact agreements and their formal endorsement among all major political blocs. Verify the identities and credibility of the anonymous political sources quoted by Al Jazeera. Clarify the official position of Sudanese Armed Forces leadership on the consultation outcomes.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Sudan. Open the source.