Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over the content of a joint statement issued by the African Union Commission on January 6, 2026, titled “Joint Statement between the African Union Commission and the United Arab Emirates,” which addressed Sudanese affairs in what the ministry described as an unobjective manner. The statement, according to the ministry, repeated the same narrative that equates the Government of Sudan with a terrorist militia that has been condemned by the international community, including the African Union, on multiple occasions—most recently following the El Fasher massacre.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission had met with the UAE foreign minister.
The Ministry stated that the joint statement was issued with a state that supports the rebel militia and is complicit in the bloodshed of the Sudanese people and violations against them. It added that the statement was issued without any relevant occasion or forum involving other African Union member states, and with a country that is not even a member of the AU—raising serious questions about the Commission’s anticipated role in resolving conflicts in Africa under the slogan “African solutions to African problems.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry condemned the statement’s repeated calls for an unconditional humanitarian truce, despite the Sudanese government’s declared position on ceasefire arrangements. That position, it noted, was clearly articulated in the Sudan Peace Initiative announced by the Prime Minister before the UN Security Council, welcomed by the UN Secretary-General and endorsed by regional and international organizations, including the African Union—making the Commission’s stance all the more puzzling and raising questions about its true position toward the Sudan Peace Initiative.
The Government of Sudan reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to achieving peace in line with the aspirations and legitimate expectations of the Sudanese people, stressing its readiness to engage with any initiative that upholds this principle. It emphasized that any initiative that equates the government with the terrorist Al-Dagalo militia and reiterates the same notions contained in the African Union Commission’s regrettable statement will find no acceptance among the Sudanese people and will not be engaged by the Government of Sudan.
