Public divisions have surfaced within Sudan’s Freedom and Change – Democratic Bloc following what were described as unauthorised consultations with international mediators in Addis Ababa.
On 15 February 2026, spokesperson Juma al-Wakil stated that the coalition neither sanctioned nor participated in the meeting, stressing that no delegation had been officially mandated to represent the bloc. He maintained that any involvement by affiliated groups occurred in a personal or organisational capacity and did not reflect the coalition’s formal position.
The talks in the Ethiopian capital were convened under the “Quintuple Mechanism”, a platform comprising the African Union, IGAD, the United Nations, the Arab League and the European Union, which is seeking to narrow divisions among Sudanese political actors and revive dialogue on the
country’s future governance.
Participants reportedly included figures linked to the bloc under the banner of the “National Forces”, among them representatives from armed and political factions.
However, the dispute deepened when a second spokesperson, Mohammed Zakaria, challenged al-Wakil’s remarks, arguing they did not represent a collective position and had not followed agreed institutional procedures.
He indicated that an official stance would be communicated after a leadership meeting. The Democratic Bloc, which includes movements such as the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Movement and parties like the Democratic Unionist Party, now faces renewed scrutiny over internal cohesion at a critical juncture in Sudan’s fragile political transition.
