The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) has called for an extraordinary summit to address the escalating war in Sudan. The decision was reached during a meeting on June 21st, chaired by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, with the participation of key AU officials and regional leaders. The PSC stressed the necessity of direct negotiations between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to achieve a ceasefire. An Ad-hoc Presidential Committee, led by President Museveni and comprising representatives from each region of the continent, has been established to facilitate face-to-face talks. The Council called upon the leaders of the warring factions to meet under the auspices of the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) without further delay. Previous attempts by IGAD and the Saudi-US-led Jeddah process to organise such a meeting have been unsuccessful. The PSC commended the efforts of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan and IGAD in organizing an all-inclusive Sudan political dialogue process in Addis Ababa from July 10th to 15th, 2024. The Council also recognised ongoing dialogue efforts by Egypt, scheduled for early July. The regional body urged all Sudanese actors to actively support the political dialogue towards a lasting, people-driven solution to the conflict and the restoration of constitutional democratic order in Sudan. The PSC demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to address the humanitarian situation and called upon the belligerents to grant humanitarian access and protection to aid workers. In a significant move, the Council directed the PSC Sub-Committee on Sanctions to identify all external actors supporting the warring factions militarily, financially, and politically. The sub-committee will liaise with the AU Commission and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) to make proposals on how to contain these actors within three months. The meeting also saw the participation of Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission; Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Chair of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan; Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary; and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Executive Secretary of the League of Arab States.
