The African Union Commission has welcomed a new initiative aimed at facilitating a Sudanese-led dialogue to help end the conflict that has engulfed Sudan since April 2023.

The Commission said the initiative could provide a platform for Sudanese stakeholders to address their differences and work towards a shared national vision for peace and political stability.

According to a press statement issued on Monday, August 31, since the outbreak of the conflict, the leadership of the African Union Commission has sought to promote dialogue among Sudanese parties while calling for the preservation of national unity and state institutions.

The Commission has also maintained that efforts to resolve the crisis should support the restoration and consolidation of a democratic state.

Welcoming the latest initiative, the Commission said the proposed Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue would take place inside Sudan under the supervision of an independent committee of Sudanese elders.

It urged the organisers to ensure that the process includes civil society, political groups and other sections of Sudanese society.

“The consultations should encompass all Sudanese civil, political, and societal stakeholders,” the Commission said, stressing the need for “genuine Sudanese ownership and leadership” of the process.

According to the African Union, the broader objective should be to establish a united and sovereign Sudan governed by legitimate civilian institutions.

It said a lasting settlement should also result in a single national security architecture and effective mechanisms for resolving political and social disputes through peaceful means.

The Commission said the new initiative was consistent with its existing roadmap for Sudan and complemented the work of the Quintet Mechanism, which seeks to coordinate international and regional efforts towards resolving the crisis.

The African Union said it would continue to support efforts that place Sudanese stakeholders at the centre of finding a political solution to the conflict.