African Union Envoy Praises New Sudan Government in Talks with Leader

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan's Sovereignty Council, greets African Union envoy Mohamed Belaiche in Port Sudan on July 29, 2025. Sovereign Council photo.

July 29, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – An African Union envoy on Tuesday praised Sudan’s new civilian government in talks with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a move that could pave the way for the country’s reinstatement to the regional bloc.

Sudan’s membership in the African Union was suspended after a military coup on Oct. 25, 2021.

The AU representative, Mohamed Belaiche, met Burhan in Port Sudan, the temporary seat of government, where he lauded the formation of a cabinet led by Prime Minister Kamel Idris.

“The formation of an independent civilian government is a significant step toward alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people,” Belaiche said in a statement released by Burhan’s Sovereignty Council, adding it would allow for reconstruction to begin.

Belaiche also commended the armed forces for their work to “defeat the rebellion” and restore stability, the statement said.

The envoy emphasized that dialogue was essential to resolving the country’s conflicts and cited the 2023 Jeddah Declaration, a stalled peace initiative signed by the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as a basis for talks.

Consultations between the AU and Sudan to lift the country’s suspension are expected to begin following the formation of the new government.