Hamdok’s Alliance Seeks Dialogue with the National Congress Party
A senior diplomat from a Western country held undisclosed meetings with leaders of the National Congress Party (NCP) in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. According to journalist Mustafa Al-Batal, the meetings addressed developments in Sudan’s political landscape and the future of the political process, pointing to political moves and contacts taking place behind the scenes.
According to the information available, the Western diplomat held two meetings that had been arranged in advance. During the meetings, the diplomat posed questions to party representatives, responded to their inquiries and provided statements attributed to him regarding his country’s position on developments in Sudan.
According to the sources, the questions focused on whether NCP leaders would be willing to sit down for negotiations with the Sumoud alliance if the latter expressed a desire to do so.
The sources said the diplomat informed the NCP representatives that Sumoud had agreed to dialogue but had made its participation conditional on the inclusion of representatives of the Tasis government. He also reportedly conveyed that General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan was interested in supporting the negotiation process, provided there was sufficient domestic consensus on it.
The sources further quoted the diplomat as saying that his country no longer considered transferring power to Sumoud through a partnership that would grant it unilateral dominance over the executive branch a viable option. Instead, the transitional period would require broadening participation in governing institutions, with Sumoud included in those institutions and not excluded from the political process.