African Union forms high-level panel to end Sudan's ongoing conflict

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – The African Union (AU) chief on Wednesday announced the appointment of a three-member group tasked with resolving the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

In a statement, Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the panel would work with all the warring parties in Sudan, including "all civilian forces and military belligerents," to end the conflict.

He added that the team will also engage with all peace-seeking regional and global stakeholders, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), United Nations, and the Arab League "to ensure an all-inclusive process towards the swift restoration of peace, constitutional order, and stability in Sudan."

With extensive experience in conflict resolution, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the AU high representative for Silencing the Guns, leads the team.

Joining him are Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, former vice president of Uganda, and Francisco Madeira, former head of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The chairperson expressed gratitude to the appointed individuals for their willingness to serve in the critical capacity to bring peace in Sudan where more than 12,000 have been killed since the conflict began last year.

He also called upon Sudanese warring parties and the international community to extend full cooperation and support to the panel members for the successful execution of their mandate.

Sudan has been marred by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the country’s ruling Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators have failed to end the violence.