“No conducive environment for credible election’: EU, Sudan Troika

The European Union will not support the Sudanese general election, scheduled to start coming Monday. According to the members of the Sudan Troika an environment conducive to a participatory and credible election does not exist.

In a statement today, Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Affairs, and Vice-President of the European Commission announced that the EU has chosen not to engage in support of the elections.

“When dialogue is bypassed, some groups are excluded and civil and political rights are infringed, the upcoming elections cannot produce a credible result with legitimacy throughout the country,” Mogherini stated on behalf of the 28 EU member states.

She pointed to the EU conclusions of October 2014, calling for an inclusive political process that would provide peace and prosperity for Sudan, and expressed the Union’s disappointment “that the Government of Sudan is missing the opportunity by not responding to the efforts by the African Union to bring all stakeholders together.

“When dialogue is bypassed, some groups are excluded and civil and political rights are infringed, the upcoming elections cannot produce a credible result with legitimacy throughout the country.” 

“The failure to initiate a genuine national dialogue one year after it was announced by the Government of Sudan is a setback for the welfare of the people of Sudan.” […] They “deserve better”.

Mogherini stressed that the EU continues to support the efforts of the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) “as well as other efforts to bring peace to Sudan”.

’Meaningful governance reform’​

The members of the Sudan Troika (Norway, the UK, and the USA) have expressed their “great disappointment” about the Sudanese government’s rejection last week of the AU invitation to attend a preparatory National Dialogue meeting in Addis Ababa, before holding the general election.

“The Government of Sudan signalled in January 2014 its intent to initiate a National Dialogue, but has since failed to advance a genuine process in good faith,” the Troika countries commented in a press release today.

“As we have stated previously,” the statement reads, “we believe a comprehensive and inclusive National Dialogue is a necessary process for Sudan to develop a truly representative political system. Only through dialogue can the people of Sudan confront fundamental issues of governance, political inclusiveness, resource sharing, national identity, and social equality,” 

The Troika stressed that they will “continue to support those Sudanese who wish to advance a process of dialogue toward an end to conflict, meaningful governance reform, inclusive participatory politics, and long-term stability in Sudan”.