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Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 931st meeting held on 17 June 2020, on the situation in Sudan,

The Peace and Security Council,

Taking note of the opening remarks made by the Permanent Representative of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to the AU and PSC Chairperson for the month of June 2020, Ambassador Salah Francis Elhamdi; the statement made by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui; the presentation made by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission to the Sudan, Ambassador Mohamed Belaiche; and the statements by the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan, Dr. Elsidieg Abdul Aziz; and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Niger in its capacity as the Coordinator of the African Members of the United Nations Security Council (A3), Ambassador Zakariaou Adam Maiga; as well as the statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs. Hanna Tetteh, on the situation in the Republic of Sudan;

Recalling its previous decisions on the situation in Sudan, in particular, Communique PSC/PR/COMM.(CMXXVII) adopted at its 927th meeting held on 21 May 2020, Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.(CMVI)] adopted at its 906th meeting held on 30 January 2020 and Communique [PSC/PR/COMM (DCCCLXXXIV)] adopted at its 884th meeting held on 10 October 2019; Reaffirming the solidarity of the African Union with the Sudanese people and the Transitional Government in their aspirations to constitutional order, that will enable them to make progress in their efforts towards the democratic transformation of the country; also reaffirming its commitment for the respect or the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Sudan; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council

1. Commends the Transitional Sovereign Council and the Transitional Government of Sudan for their ongoing cooperation, commitment and coordinated engagements, and progress made in addressing the multiple challenges facing the country and encourages all stakeholders to remain committed to all the articles and timelines of the signed agreements, including the establishment of the Transitional Legislative Assembly and appointment of all civilian State Governors;

2. Reiterates AU’s support to the Constitutional Document as it provides the basis for a lasting, fair and comprehensive a peaceful transition in Sudan and, once again, reaffirms AU’s readiness to support Transitional Government and the people of Sudan in addressing the root causes and impact of conflicts in Sudan, in order for the country to attain sustainable peace, stability, security and socio-economic development;

3. Welcomes the progress that has been achieved so far within the Sudan peace talks facilitated and hosted by the Republic of South Sudan and, in this regard, express appreciation for the role played by the Government of South Sudan, under the leadership of H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; urges the parties to the peace process to continue to constructively engage each other and expeditiously reach a sustainable peace agreement; and appeals to those parties that have not yet joined this process to do so immediately, without any pre-conditions in order to end the suffering of the people of Sudan and return the country to peace and stability. In the same context, condemns all acts of violence and calls on the Transitional Government of the Sudan, working together with the AU Commission, to develop and submit a list of all those not cooperating and obstructionists to the current peace process, in order for the Council to take appropriate actions;

4. Expresses concern over the humanitarian and economic situation in Sudan, compounded by the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic which may aggravate social tensions that could hamper the ongoing peaceful transition in the country; in this regard, welcomes the decision of the Transitional Government of Sudan for rolling out its economic plan, ‘Sudan Economic Revival Plan 2019-2030’ in order to address the economic challenges facing the country and, in this context, looks forward to the High Level Sudan Partnership Conference planned for 25 June 2020 in which the AU Commission has been invited to attend; underlines the need for the meeting to come up with supportive pledges and practical steps to effectively addressing the current humanitarian, economic and financial situation and also towards supporting efforts aimed at economic recovery of Sudan;

5. Calls upon the International Financial Institutions to continue to positively react to the needs outlined by Sudan including through the country’s access to concessional loans that will be critical to its economic recovery, as well as to engage in transparent and constructive discussions, without undermining the current fragile economic situation in the country;

6. Also welcomes the ongoing consultations between the Transitional Government of Sudan and the United States of America, which are aimed at reaching an agreement on outstanding issues relating the Sudan’s removal from the United States of America List of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST), in order to pave the way for the Transitional Government of Sudan to have enhanced access to international funding; reiterates its appeal to those countries and institutions concerned to urgently lift all sanctions and punitive measures imposed against Sudan, as well as to consider for debt relief and cancellation and, in this regard, requests the Chairperson of the AU Commission as well as the Panel of the Wise to continue with his efforts in championing this objective;

7. Urges the Sudanese Independent Fact Finding Committee to finalize the investigations on the events of 3 June 2019, as a step towards a national reconciliation and healing process, as well as mutual trust and confidence building among the various Sudanese stakeholders;

8. Takes note of the continued manifestations of discontent expressed by the Sudanese citizens, including the subsequent demonstrations that have been carried out in light of the deteriorating socio-economic conditions and, in this respect, underlines the importance of the continued search for durable solutions towards the multiple challenges facing Sudan; urges the Sudanese citizens to exercise their civil and political rights through the use of existing legal channels and rejects any attempts to use violence to derail or obstruct the implementation of the ongoing transitional process;

9. Encourages the international community, in particular Sudan’s neighboring countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the AU, to continue providing political, economic and diplomatic support to the Sudanese peace process and warns that disruptions to the peace process in Sudan can seriously undermine the transition process with dire consequences on peace and stability in the region and the Continent as a whole;

10. Requests the AU Commission, working closely with the Transitional Government of Sudan, to undertake a needs assessment exercise in Sudan and to report to the Council which will be instrumental in the mobilization of international support within the broad context of supporting the Sudanese peace process, while recalling paragraph 12 of its Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.(CMXXVII)] adopted at its 927th meeting held on 21 May 2020, concerning the role of the AU Centre on Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (AUPCRD) and the progress report requested in this regard;

11. Commends the continued cooperation between the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations in their support to the Sudanese peace processes and encourages them to sustain these efforts, given the fragility of the situation in the Sudan and the need for long-term support for the recovery and socio-economic development of the country. In the same context, applauds the continued cooperation and coordination of the African non-permanent Members in the UN Security Council (A3) in championing and promoting African positions and interests on peace and security matters on the agenda of the UN Security Council, especially on the situation in Sudan; and encourages the A3 to sustain these efforts;

12. Welcomes the adoption by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of two Resolutions namely 2524 (2020) establishing the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) to support the transition in Sudan in a manner that corresponds with Sudan’s views, priorities, national ownership and sovereignty and 2525 (2020) extending the mandate of African Union United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) until the 31 of December 2020, when the drawdown is expected to be completed and the mission closed; in this regard, welcomes the Civilian Protection Plan proposed by the Transitional Government of Sudan to the United Nations in May 2020 and looks forward to the outcomes of engagement on the plan, between the Sudanese and the United Nations;

13. Expresses deep concern that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major threat towards efforts aimed at consolidating peace and security and achievements gained in Sudan; in this regard, welcomes the efforts of the Transitional Government of Sudan towards addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and expresses appreciation to all AU Member States and the wider international community for the support being provided to the Transitional Government and to the people of Sudan with a view to combating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and particularly the support extended by the AU member States such as the medical and humanitarian supplies provided by the Arab Republic of Egypt;

14. Also expresses deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan, which has been exacerbated by floods desert locusts menace and the COVID-19 pandemic, and, in this regard, appeals to all AU Member States and the international community at large, to continue providing humanitarian support to the people of Sudan; in this context, urges all those concerned to open up humanitarian corridors and to also facilitate access, as well as to offer protection to healthcare workers and humanitarian actors in the field, with a view to ensuring continuity of coordinated programs that contribute towards preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, saving lives, livelihoods and addressing the needs of groups in most vulnerable situations in society;

15. Decides to remain seized of the matter.