Sudan’s al-Burhan pledges immunity for dialogue, rules out Hemedti return

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkSudan's de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League joint extraordinary leaders summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2024. [SPA/AFP]By Al-Noor Ahmed Al-NoorPublished On 15 Aug 202615 Aug 2026Sudan’s Sovereign Council chief and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has pledged temporary immunity and legal, political and security guarantees for participants in a Sudanese dialogue to be managed by an independent national mechanism.Speaking early on Saturday during celebrations marking the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, al-Burhan said criminal proceedings against participants facing charges would be temporarily suspended while they take part in the dialogue, without affecting the rights of those who filed complaints against them.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Sudan’s war threatens an ‘entire generation’s’ future, UN warnslist 2 of 4Sudan’s army chief holds unannounced talks on national dialoguelist 3 of 4Sudan army says RSF advance on key town bordering Ethiopialist 4 of 4How a Sudanese refugee became a head teacher in a Chadian campend of listAl-Burhan said measures taken by the state regarding any dialogue participant would not amount to a pardon, but rather a temporary suspension of criminal proceedings against those facing charges. He said this would grant them temporary immunity while taking part in the dialogue without affecting the rights of those who had filed complaints.He said the national dialogue should be an open-ended process conducted in a public space that allows society to express opinions and criticism without fear or restrictions.He also pledged legal protection for the opinions and positions expressed by participants, saying statements made during dialogue sessions would not be used as grounds for legal prosecution.Al-Burhan said a group of Sudanese figures had independently proposed the initiative and would oversee the dialogue. He stressed that the state would not organise the process or determine its agenda or outcomes.Sources told Al Jazeera that the national mechanism is expected to hold a news conference in the coming days to present its vision and plans for the political process.No ‘incomplete peace’On the war, al-Burhan said the army was ready to engage with any serious peace initiative but would not accept what he called an “incomplete peace” that returned the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and its supporters to power.Al-Burhan said the army would continue what he described as the “completion of the cleansing of the country from the terrorist militia”.He said the path to peace must begin with RSF forces withdrawing from cities and gathering in designated areas, followed by the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes.Discussions could then take place over the status of RSF fighters and the possible integration into the regular forces of those who had not committed crimes, he said.Separately, al-Burhan said he had begun talks with national forces that had supported the state and its institutions during the previous period, with the aim of involving them in completing the institutions of government.He said this would include representation in a legislative council, or parliament, whose formation is currently under discussion. African Union delegationMeanwhile, a delegation from the African Union’s Peace and Security Council is expected to arrive in Khartoum on Saturday for a three-day visit, its second since the war began.The delegation includes representatives of the council’s 15 member states and is headed by Algeria’s representative, as Algeria holds the council’s rotating presidency for August.According to Sudan’s Al-Muhaqiq news agency, the African delegation’s visit will last three days and include talks with al-Burhan, Prime Minister Kamil Idris, political groups and civil society organisations.In July, the African Union’s special envoy to Sudan, Mohamed Belaiche, discussed the political and security situation in Khartoum, African mediation efforts and the reopening of the African Union’s office in the capital.Sudan has formally asked the council to lift its suspension from African Union activities, imposed after al-Burhan dissolved the Sovereign Council and cabinet and declared a state of emergency in October 2021.