Burhan drops cases against Sudanese abroad to pave way for dialogue

Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a decision on Tuesday to drop cases against any Sudanese citizen living abroad who has entered or enters the country to take part in dialogue.

The decision was announced by Justice Minister Abdullah Darf, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA), as the 19-member Dialogue Preparation Committee launched an initiative to create conditions for dialogue among political, civil and community forces, with the aim of helping to end the war and pave the way for national consensus.

Darf said Burhan had “responded to the demands of the national initiative to launch Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue by providing guarantees, including dropping cases against any Sudanese citizen living abroad who has entered or enters the country to take part in the dialogue”.

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He added that the decision reflected Burhan’s “belief that national consensus through Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue is the only way to rebuild the state”, as well as the state’s commitment to supporting the national initiative.

“The role of the state is limited to providing guarantees, facilities and protection, in a way that ensures the independence of the dialogue without interfering in setting its agenda,” Darf said.

The justice minister said the decision was also “in response to the aspirations of the Sudanese people to find a genuine national path that puts the concerns and interests of the people first”.

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