The African Union (AU) will open its 39th ordinary summit on Saturday with Sudan notably absent for the fifth consecutive year, as member states remain divided over lifting Khartoum’s suspension.

More than 32 heads of state and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres are expected to attend the gathering at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. While the official theme focuses on water and sanitation services, the civil war in Sudan is expected to dominate high-level security talks. Sudan’s membership was frozen following a military coup in October 2021.

AU sources told Sudan Tribune that the Peace and Security Council (PSC) will meet at the heads-of-state level on Saturday to discuss the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The council maintained the suspension during a ministerial session on Thursday, reaffirming its rejection of any “parallel government” while welcoming a new initiative by Prime Minister Kamil Idris.Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in a statement that PSC members failed to reach consensus on reinstating Sudan’s membership.

“Efforts are underway to end the suspension and engage with existing legitimate government institutions,” Abdelatty said.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem addressed an informal session of the council on Thursday, marking a rare appearance by a Khartoum official at the continental body since the suspension.

The summit comes as regional and international mediators struggle to secure a lasting ceasefire in a conflict that has displaced millions and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.