Wajh Al-Haqiqa | Ibrahim Shaglawi Zooming in on the Sudanese Dialogue
Writer Lubna Ahmed Hussein put forward a distinctive idea: why should the Sudanese dialogue not begin through the “Zoom” platform and then move on to direct dialogue? The idea, away from any controversy, deserves to be developed, because it places before us a question more important than the means of dialogue itself: how do we shorten the path to consensus and prevent dialogue from turning into yet another conference that consumes time and money and then ends with a statement and photographs?
Our country today does not need more political occasions; rather, it needs a dialogue process with a clear beginning, defined stages, and a measurable outcome. Therefore, “Zoom” should not be understood as a substitute for direct meetings, but rather as a practical entry point for an initial stage that reduces political distances before geographical distances are crossed. Politics does not necessarily have to begin with airplanes, hotels, and conference halls; it can begin from a screen, if behind that screen there is genuine political will and a professional mechanism that ensures the dialogue leads to a promising outcome.
More importantly, the conditions necessary for such a path now exist. There is already a committee that took the initiative to facilitate the dialogue, was formed and began its work, and presented itself as an independent facilitation committee, holding a press conference chaired by Professor Qasim Badri. Therefore, what is required is not the creation of a new body to be added to the existing bodies, but rather benefiting from this effort and developing its role so that it becomes part of an organized and effective preparatory process that brings Sudanese people together without usurping their decision, prepares the ground for dialogue without speaking on behalf of its parties.
Added to this are the legal guarantees for participants proposed last week by the Minister of Justice, based on the decision of President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. This is an important point, because one of the greatest obstacles to dialogue is the feeling of political and legal insecurity. If legal guarantees are combined with a means of remote participation, the space for participation can expand, making it possible to reach Sudanese forces and figures whose direct attendance in the initial stage may be prevented by the circumstances of war, travel complications, or fears.
But an opportunity does not become a political path unless we organize it properly. Here, the first stage can begin with political and social forces and national figures submitting written papers defining their visions and positions on the fundamental issues. Then, virtual sessions with specific topics and timeframes can be organized, managed by the Facilitation Committee with professionalism and impartiality, and documented accurately. Each session must have a clear outcome: what was agreed upon, where positions came closer, and what remained a matter of disagreement.
This point is the essence of the idea. Virtual dialogue should not be merely an exchange of talk, but rather a political workshop for producing a minimum level of consensus. The outcomes are collected in a preliminary document, returned to the participants for their observations, and then the issues that require direct discussion are identified. Thus, when Sudanese people sit around the table, they will not begin from scratch, nor will they consume their time on issues that could already be agreed upon in advance; rather, they will go directly to the real points of disagreement.
From here, the timeline becomes part of the essence of the process. September can be devoted to laying the foundations, expanding participation, and collecting papers; October to virtual dialogue on the main issues; the first half of November to drafting the preliminary consensus document; and the second half to reviewing it, consolidating what has been agreed upon, and identifying the points of disagreement. December would then be the month of direct dialogue and the resolution of outstanding issues. The goal is that, by the beginning of 2027, coinciding with the Independence celebrations, Sudanese people will have before them a written consensus that defines the future.
Consensus does not mean that Sudanese people agree on everything, for that is unrealistic in a society of diverse interests, visions, and balances. The required consensus is an agreement on the rules that protect the state and manage differences. There should be no political exclusion without a national and legal standard, and no political legitimacy granted by weapons. Weapons belong to the state, politics to dialogue and elections, crimes to justice, and the decision to the people.
The success of the dialogue should also not be measured by the number of forces that attended, nor by the number of hours they spent in front of screens, but rather by what it leaves in the lives of Sudanese people. A dialogue that does not lead to stopping the war, the return of the displaced, the rebuilding of state institutions, the achievement of justice, and the recovery of the economy will remain a dialogue of elites, whatever its slogans may be. But if it succeeds in producing a consensus that opens the way to these goals, it will transform from a political activity into a project to save the state.
Therefore, according to #Wajh_Al_Haqiqa, holding the first stage through the “Zoom” platform is not a substitute for the table, but a shorter path to it. It saves time, effort, and money, is organized by the Facilitation Committee, and protected by legal guarantees, allowing Sudanese people to become familiar in advance with areas of agreement and issues of disagreement. When the process moves to direct meetings inside the country, resolving the outstanding matters and reaching consensus becomes possible, leading to the signing on the first of January 2027, so that the Consensus Document becomes a reference for a binding national program, rather than another stop along the path of deferred settlements.
Wishing you continued well-being and good health.
Saturday, 5 September 2026
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