Sudan: Burhan drops cases to pave way for dialogue

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Sovereign Council Chairman, issued a decision to drop cases against Sudanese citizens living abroad who have entered or will enter the country to take part in dialogue, according to the Middle East Monitor on September 1st. 

The decision comes as Sudanese political and civil forces continue efforts to find a path towards ending the country’s devastating war. The Dialogue Preparation Committee launched an initiative to create conditions for dialogue among political, civil and community forces, aiming to end the war and pave the way for national consensus. The committee currently consists of 19 members. 

Justice Minister Abdullah Darf was the one to announce the decision, claiming that the decision reflected Burhan’s “belief that national consensus through Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue is the only way to rebuild the state”. 

However, Burhan’s approach has faced opposition from ‘anti-war forces’, claiming the dialogue initiative is unilateral and ‘not a real process’. They disagree on who has the legitimacy to shape the country’s path and reject military actors as the primary route to settlement. They called for an alternative peace framework combining humanitarian, security and political tracks, with civilians given a meaningful role in shaping Sudan’s future. 

Political disagreements are unfolding alongside an increasingly severe humanitarian crisis. The UN warned of the imminent risk of large-scale atrocities such as gender-based violence, starvation and restrictions on humanitarian aid as a method of warfare against hundreds of thousands of civilians. 

El Obeid has become a major destination for people fleeing violence in North Kordofan and beyond. During the first six months of 2026, more than 200,000 people fled to the city, followed by another 15,000 in July. 

The humanitarian situation is aggravated by assaults on civilian infrastructure, including drone attacks on the city highway on July 27th, the assault which killed 23 civilians on June 13th and the attack targeting the city’s main power station on March 4th. Between January 2025 and April 2026, attacks on healthcare facilities across Sudan deprived 762,000 people of access to healthcare. Disrupted medical supplies have further increased risks for vulnerable civilians, while children also face the loss of legal identity and access to basic rights and services dependent on birth registration and documentation.

Burhan’s decision creates an opening for greater political participation, though whether the dialogue can contribute to a genuine peace process depends on whether the initiative expands beyond military actors and provides meaningful space for civilians and humanitarian groups, who remain central to Sudan’s future. 

Maghrebi.org, Middle East Monitor