Sudan’s war is missing from the African Union summit agenda 

The 37th annual African Union (AU) summit will kick off tomorrow in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Over the course of a weekend, African leaders will discuss issues of mutual concern and promote international collaboration. Sudan’s ongoing war is, however, missing from the agenda despite its profound impact on the region.

Radio Dabanga yesterday spoke to Nimat Kuku, human rights activist and gender specialist, who explained that it is ironic that the situation in Sudan is not discussed in-depth despite the fact that Sudan is an African country and one of the key founders of the AU.

Sudan’s membership in the African Union was suspended after the October 2021 coup d’état by the now-warring generals Abdelfattah El Burhan and Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo. Nevertheless, the current crisis in Sudan should have featured higher on the summit’s agenda, Koko argued.

Sudan’s war could have been a stand-alone clause for the further imposition of sanctions, or for an official complaint on behalf of the Sudanese people to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, especially when looking at the genocide that took place in West Darfur.

At the same time, the summit does include a full session to discuss the situation in Palestine, even though it is not an African country. “What is happening in Sudan is no less brutal than what is happening in Gaza, and constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights,” Kuku explained.

“The inclusion of the Palestinian cause in the summit expresses the solidarity of the African peoples with Palestinians. It is an important issue that deserves solidarity because it concerns fundamental human rights journeys of peoples.”

American participation

The human rights activist and women’s advocate sees a second paradox in the participation of the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, in this summit. According to Kuku, this reflects the conflict of American interests in the region and its ties to Israel.

Her presence is an indication of international parties placing some restrictions and control on the summit’s decisions, especially in the light of South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice last month and its more recent ‘urgent request’ over Israel’s offensive in Rafah this week.

“US presence at the African Summit confirms the fact that American-Israeli interests go above all else, and there is no place for these interests to be compromised.”

Kuku criticised America’s “ambiguous” position on democracy and human rights. Sudan’s crises are lowering on America’s list of priorities compared to what is happening in Gaza, but the situation in Darfur is no less bad and no less a human rights violation, she argued.

“America is deliberately ignoring changes in the balance of power within the Sudanese movement, and there is no room to talk about the issue of democracy, human rights, and civilian rule,” she said.

America’s interests in Sudan remain ambiguous and unclear, especially its inability to impose the decisions that came out of the Jeddah Initiative, despite the danger Sudan’s war poses to the wider security of East Africa and the Red Sea, and the expansion of ISIS and similar extremist groups from West Africa through Darfur.

“America’s intelligence services are unmistakable in terms of information, also around tribal militia mobilisation,” yet little concrete action is taken.

IGAD meeting

On Wednesday, an American delegation discussed “ways to resolve the conflict in Sudan” and address the rapidly increasing displacement and food crisis in the country with leaders of IGAD, the Horn of Africa Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

On his account on X (formerly known as Twitter), US Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey said that he “appreciated the opportunity to exchange views on ending the conflict, facilitating humanitarian assistance, and establishing a pro-democracy civilian front”.

Users on X demonstrated further criticism on the lack of concrete action from the USA.

“Typical political grandstanding and empty promises. […] Rather than just engaging in discussions and “exchanging views,” how about delivering tangible results and making a real difference on the ground? Actions speak louder than words, Ambassador Godfrey,” one user wrote.

“We need to see immediate ceasefire NOT empty talk. Sudanese people are fed up,” another said.

The meeting was held on the margins of the AU summit.

On Tuesday, a delegation of the Civil Democratic Forces alliance (known as Tagaddum) also met with the US Assistant Secretary of State on African Affairs in Addis Ababa.