The United Arab Emirates welcomed a joint call to establish a civilian-led government in Sudan after three days of talks in Addis Ababa, putting its weight behind the latest international push for a political exit from a war that has devastated the country.
The statement released on Monday brought together Sudanese stakeholders and officials from the United States and seven European nations, alongside the African Union, the EU, IGAD, the Arab League and the UN. It said the parties stood behind a peaceful, democratic and stable future for Sudan, while also backing the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
The timing matters because the Addis Ababa meeting followed an international ministerial conference on Sudan in Berlin in April, and it added fresh external support to a transition that has stalled since a coup in 2021 toppled a civilian-led government. The Berlin meeting also included, for the first time, a structured civilian forum involving Sudanese groups, which gave this round of talks a broader political base than many earlier efforts.
The UAE said it fully supported efforts to secure a humanitarian truce and a permanent ceasefire, end suffering, protect civilians and deliver aid. It also said political solutions should come first and that Sudan needs a comprehensive and independent transition to civilian government that reflects the aspirations of Sudanese people for security, stability and decent lives.
That promise runs into the reality on the ground. The signatories expressed deep concern about the war’s humanitarian toll, but attacks on civilians continue and millions remain displaced, with the country facing acute food insecurity and limited access to basic services. A recent UN report put the number displaced at about 14 million, including nine million inside Sudan and 4.4 million across borders.
Massad Boulos said advancing a civilian-led political track is critical to achieving durable peace, and wrote that the statement built on the Berlin conference’s outcome, which secured $1.5 billion in humanitarian support. What remains unresolved is who would actually lead any civilian government and how the transition would be carried out in a country still in active conflict, with more than 58,000 reported deaths tracked since the war began in 2023.
