The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, is convening the Third Meeting of the Expanded Mechanism on the Sudan Crisis to be held on Wednesday 31^st May 2023 at the African Union (AU) headquarters. The meeting will bring together representatives from the Trilateral Mechanism (the AU, IGAD and UN), the League of Arab States (LAS), the European Union (EU), the permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council (UNSC), the African members of the UNSC (A3), Sudan’s neighbouring countries (Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan), the countries designated by IGAD to engage the belligerents (South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti), Comoros as Chair of the African Union, the Quad (the USA, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), the Troika (USA, UK and Norway),  Germany and Qatar. It aims to discuss the next steps regarding the situation in Sudan, including the implementation of the African Union Roadmap for the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan (the AU Roadmap), in close collaboration with the Sudanese stakeholders.

The AU Roadmap, which was adopted by the PSC at the Heads of State and Government level on 27^th May 2023, aims to establish mechanisms to coordinate support to Sudan, secure an immediate, permanent, inclusive and unconditional cessation of hostilities, strengthen the humanitarian response, ensure the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure and compliance with international humanitarian law, give impetus to the agency of neighbouring states, and promote the resumption of an inclusive, fully representative political process.

The African Union has strongly condemned the ongoing brutal and unjustified conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has resulted in indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, wanton destruction of infrastructure, an unprecedented dire humanitarian situation, and gross violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law (IHL/IHRL). The AU has also stressed that there can be no military solution to the conflict and demanded the resumption of the political transition process culminating in the conduct of elections towards a democratic, civilian-led government. The African Union has also firmly rejected all forms of external interference in Sudan.

In the coming days, the AU Commission Chairperson, using his good offices, will dispatch emissaries to the states neighbouring Sudan as part of his efforts to strengthen the search for a common approach to finding a sustainable solution to the multi-layered crisis in Sudan.

The Expanded Mechanism on the Sudan Crisis was established at the Ministerial Special Session on Sudan, convened by the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on 20^th April 2023, to coordinate and harmonize regional, continental and international efforts in support of a peaceful resolution of the conflict to end the suffering of the Sudanese people. The second meeting of the Expanded Mechanism was held in Addis Ababa on 2^nd May 2023.

For further information, please contact:

Mr Paschal Chem-Langhee, Communications Coordinator | Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security | African Union Commission | E-mail: Chem-LangheeP@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
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