The African Union sent a delegation of its Peace and Security Council to Sudan, where on August 16 they met interim president General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Kamil Idris. This is the first such visit since Burhan launched a coup in 2021 and the subsequent suspension of Sudan from the AU.
Mohamed Khaled, the council’s rotating president for this month, said the body respects Sudan’s sovereignty and unity, while expressing concern over the war’s mounting casualties, infrastructure damage, and humanitarian toll. Khaled urged political dialogue and national reconciliation to pave the way toward free and fair elections, rejecting any external interference or the creation of parallel authorities. The AU is part of a five-member diplomatic mechanism aimed at resolving the conflict. It includes the United Nations, European Union, the regional grouping IGAD, and the Arab League.
In a separate statement, the cabinet said Prime Minister Idris reiterated the government’s position that it would not tolerate any equating of the national army with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He also called on the AU to classify the RSF as a terrorist organization. He also said the military is advancing in the Greater Kordofan region ahead of operations in Darfur.