African Union Delegation Visits Sudan to Assess Conditions for Reopening AU Khartoum Office After 3 Years

An African Union delegation led by Ambassador Mohamed Belaiche visited Sudan's Foreign Ministry on April 22, 2026, to assess conditions for reopening the AU's Khartoum office, which has been closed for three years since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023. The visit reflects improving stability in Khartoum following SAF's recapture of most of the capital in March 2025 and the gradual restoration of basic services. Sudan authorities cited the return of UN agencies to Khartoum as a benchmark demonstrating sufficient security conditions for international organizations to resume operations in the capital. The AU's Khartoum office played a key role in the 2019 democratic transition process; its closure in 2023 represented one of several indicators of the complete breakdown of political and institutional life in the Sudanese capital. Reopening the AU office would mark a symbolic milestone in Khartoum's recovery and could provide a platform for renewed AU-mediated peace efforts, though analysts caution that SAF military control of the capital does not equate to political normalization given the ongoing war in Darfur and Kordofan. Ambassador Belaiche's visit coincided with the war's third anniversary, drawing attention to the AU's limited effectiveness in mediating the conflict since 2023.