Sudan is expected to formally push for the lifting of its suspension from the African Union on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem in Addis Ababa for high-level consultations ahead of the AU Summit set for February 14–15, according to local media reports.
The diplomatic effort comes as the 48th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council continues in the Ethiopian capital, a precursor to the 39th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Mohieddin has already met senior officials, including UN Special Envoy Ramtane Lamamra, as Khartoum seeks to rally support for its readmission to the continental body.
On the sidelines of the summit, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is convening at ministerial level to assess the worsening situation in Sudan.
Addis Ababa-based think tank Amani Africa reports the meeting is expected to begin with remarks by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the PSC chair for February, followed by a briefing from AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Representatives from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations are also scheduled to address the council.
Although Sudan remains barred from PSC deliberations because of its suspension, informal consultations with Sudanese representatives were reportedly planned ahead of the session.
IGAD, which recently readmitted Sudan into the regional bloc, is expected to push for the easing of AU sanctions.
Among the key issues under discussion is the council’s position on Sudan’s “National Initiative for Peace,” which Khartoum presented to the UN Security Council in December 2025.
However, the diplomatic engagement contrasts with developments on the ground. Since the PSC last discussed Sudan in December, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have intensified across several fronts, as both sides seek territorial gains while civilian suffering worsens and prospects for a political settlement remain uncertain.
The African Union suspended Sudan on October 27, 2021, days after a military coup ousted the civilian-led government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
The AU said reinstatement would depend on the restoration of a credible civilian-led transitional authority, a condition that has yet to be met amid prolonged instability.
