On 16 April 2023, South Africa as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) participated in its emergency meeting and received an update on the situation in Sudan by the AU PSC chair for the month of April 2023 and by H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission. PSC Members noted with deep concern the escalation of violence and called for parties to halt hostilities immediately, and the return to the negotiations led by the AU, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations (UN).
The South African Government has since welcomed the start of pre-negotiation talks between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces which commenced in Saudi Arabia on 6 May 2023. South Africa further reiterates the centrality of the African Union and IGAD in the pre-negotiation and subsequent talks to ensure long-standing solutions to challenges faced by Sudan.