Addis Ababa Preparatory Talks Conclude; Sudan Government Formally Rejects Berlin Conference on Sovereignty Grounds

The three-day preparatory meeting for the Third Berlin Conference on Sudan concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on April 12 (Day 3 of 3), sponsored by the quintet mechanism of the African Union, United Nations, European Union, Arab League, and IGAD. The meeting's objective — to form a joint Sudanese civil-political committee to manage structured dialogue ahead of the Berlin ministerial conference on April 15 — remained contested as the session ended, with boycotts from the National Forces Alliance and National Forces Coordination still in place. On the same day, Sudan's ambassador to Germany, Ilham Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed, formally submitted an official memorandum to the German Foreign Ministry rejecting the Berlin Conference, declaring that 'any attempt to discuss or report on Sudan without involving its government represents a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, and an infringement on state sovereignty and established diplomatic norms.' The memorandum marks a significant escalation in the SAF-aligned Port Sudan government's opposition to the Berlin process: from ambivalence and non-participation to formal diplomatic rejection delivered directly to the host government. The German Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond publicly to the memorandum. The Berlin Conference is scheduled to proceed on April 15, the war's three-year anniversary, with the quintet mechanism and participating Sudanese civilian blocs despite the SAF government's formal rejection and the major boycotts, raising acute questions about what legitimacy the conference outcomes will carry. Radio Dabanga reporting indicated the SAF government has signaled it may 'reconsider its dealings' with the organizing and sponsoring countries if the conference proceeds without Sudanese government participation.