By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Sudan, 18 November 2025 - The African Union (AU) is moving to reclaim firm leadership of the stalled Sudan peace process, insisting that the continent must drive its own solutions even as international players circle around competing initiatives.
Speaking in Addis Ababa during the launch of the African Union Journal on Post-Conflict Reconstruction, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, said the organisation would “remain the locomotive” of efforts to end Sudan’s devastating war.
He emphasised that only an approach rooted in “African solutions to African problems” could deliver a durable settlement.
Adeoye revealed that the AU is working in lockstep with the United Nations, through the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, to streamline mediation channels and prevent the duplication of peace forums that has often fuelled confusion.
Their joint efforts, he noted, enjoy both technical and political backing from the European Union, which has repeatedly expressed support for an Africa-led roadmap.
That roadmap, crafted by the AU Peace and Security Council, outlines high-level mechanisms for talks with both the warring parties and civilian groups.
Yet, despite this renewed energy, frustration persists among Sudanese civilian and political actors, who accuse the AU of being slow and reactive during the conflict’s escalation.
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The AU’s renewed push also faces competition from parallel diplomatic tracks. Chief among them is the US-backed “Quad Mechanism” involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
But its effectiveness has been strained by Khartoum’s open hostility toward the UAE, which it accuses of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The allegations have cast doubt on the Quad’s neutrality and complicated attempts to unify global mediation.
Adeoye struck a firm tone against foreign meddling, saying the AU “will not allow those who try to fuel the conflict”, adding that accountability for atrocities and an immediate ceasefire must be central to any negotiations.
The AU now prepares for a presidential summit on the crisis, and expectations are rising for the bloc to demonstrate the urgency and decisiveness many Sudanese feel has been missing. For now, the continental body is betting that unity, both within Africa and among global partners, may offer Sudan its first real chance at peace since the war erupted.
