Rhino: Gitega – African Union Chairperson and Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye said Sunday that the Union will work during his chairmanship to play an “impartial” role in mediation efforts to end the war in Sudan, stressing that the Union’s stance against military coups is unwavering and that statements by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission do not represent the will of the Union.
Ndayishimiye made these remarks while receiving a delegation from the Transitional Peace Government in Burundi’s political capital, Gitega, during a meeting that, according to a government statement, explored ways to end the war and the African Union’s role in addressing the Sudanese crisis.
The delegation was led by Minister of Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim al-Mirghani and included the Transitional Peace Government’s representative to the United Nations, Al-Quni Mustafa.
The statement said the delegation conveyed to Ndayishimiye a message from the Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Transitional Peace Government, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, and presented the vision of the Sudan Founding Alliance “Tasis” for peace, which it said aims to address the root causes of the crisis, in addition to halting the fighting and addressing the humanitarian repercussions of the war.
The delegation called for any peace process to begin with a humanitarian ceasefire and the opening of safe corridors for aid, noting that millions of Sudanese are facing deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to the war.
The delegation also accused the Sudanese military of using drones and chemical weapons and, according to the statement, called for an arms embargo and inspections of facilities, warning of the dangers of armed groups possessing chemical weapons and the potential regional repercussions.
The meeting comes amid a dispute over the African Union’s stance on the dialogue called for by the Sudanese military.
A statement from the Transitional Peace Government said that the delegation delivered to Ndayishimiye a formal protest against the welcome extended by African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssef to the dialogue called for by the military, arguing that this contradicts the principle of neutrality required of the Union in the Sudanese conflict.
The statement quoted Ndayishimiye as saying that the African Union’s stance against military coups is “firm” and that the Commission Chairperson’s remarks do not represent the will of the Union.
He was also quoted as affirming that achieving a just peace in Sudan is a priority, and that the Union will maintain an equal distance from the parties to the conflict, pledging to work to strengthen its role in mediation during his term as chair of the Union.
According to the statement, the delegation cited the African Union’s stance on coups and the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to suspend Sudan’s membership following the October 2021 coup, warning that any course of action that grants legitimacy to coups could encourage their recurrence on the continent.
The meeting also addressed, according to the statement, the rationale behind the formation of the Transitional Peace Government and what the delegation described as its efforts to restore basic services, including education, health, the judiciary, security, the economy, and the provision of humanitarian aid.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ndayishimiye held a telephone conversation with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Chair of the Presidential Council of the Transitional Peace Government, to discuss opportunities for mediation and efforts to end the war.
