The armed confrontations that erupted on the morning of Saturday, April 15, 2023, in several areas of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which yesterday entered its second year, were the most worrying signs in the cycles of armed conflict in the modern history of Sudan.
Within days, weeks, and months, the lives of millions of Sudanese in various parts of the country turned into a living hell. They experienced deaths, injuries, displacement, and loss over the years, facing deliberate impoverishment and widespread destruction. Despite this, they continue their journey into the unknown with a glimmer of hope.
The country, its people, and its land have defied wars, disasters, and conflicts for thousands of years. They have remained firm in their land, living in a sprawling organic geography that complements each other economically, spiritually, and in terms of diversity, all under the larger Sudan.
One year after the first bullet was fired, sparking controversy among the Sudanese public about who was responsible, the country has descended into a devastating and widespread war, redefining Sudan with weaponry. International efforts are ongoing to try to end the bloody conflict.
In light of this context, Saudi Arabia has just announced the upcoming resumption of the Jeddah talks within the next three weeks, signifying a pivotal step towards returning to the negotiating table in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The US special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, welcomed the Saudi decision on Monday. He stated that negotiations between the warring parties in Sudan would resume within three weeks. This announcement followed his meeting with the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister, Walid Al-Kharji, on the sidelines of the Paris Conference on Sudan.
“The war against the Sudanese people must end now,” the US official stressed.
Despite the concerns about potential rupture and collapse in the third-largest African country, some experts and politicians are optimistic that there are opportunities for hope and practical steps that could bring an end to the war. Therefore, there is a possibility of preventing further collapse if the Sudanese people pursue the path of peace.
The appearance of a unified stance against war in front of the international community.
An expert in peace studies and an advisor to the former Prime Minister for Peace Affairs, Juma Kinda, develops a matrix of several axes he thinks as leading to peace in Sudan.
In a statement to Beam Reports, Kinda said that the path to peace will involve amplifying the anti-war movement and reducing support for the war, as well as uniting or coordinating civil forces to oppose war and presenting a unified stance against war to the international community.
He considered the influence of the civil and political forces in absorbing the interests of neighboring countries, as well as their conflicts with Sudan’s interests, and trying to find a political formula that provides a basis for the equation (win-win) in Sudan’s regional and neighboring relations is pivotal and important.
Kinda believes that international and regional powers involved in Sudanese affairs must understand the necessity of exerting diplomatic, political, and economic pressure on the parties involved in the war, as well as on their financiers from the neighboring and international powers. This is a pivotal issue in achieving peace.
Round table conference
“A year that no one thought would end without the end of the war; neither we, the civilian victims nor the perpetrators who started the war. They thought it would end overnight,” says the National Umma Party vice chair, Rabah al-Sadiq al-Mahdi.
Al-Mahdi said in an interview with “Beam Reports” that the path to peace relies on the increasing general sentiment among civilians that there is an urgent need to stop the conflict immediately, and that any visible gains come at a higher cost than considering the price of peace. She stated, “If this sentiment becomes widespread, both parties will realize that they have depleted their human resources and their morale has collapsed, making it inevitable for them to come to the negotiation table for peace.”
The senior party official believes that the current situation in the country is polarizing. She stated, “Currently, the civilian discontent is escalating due to anger, and there is increasing polarization among those angered by the rapid support violations and with the armed forces. On the other hand, tribal support and bias for rapid support continue, influenced by regional ties and Sudan’s allegiance to the Brotherhood.”
Al-Mahdi stated, “Even those who advocate for ‘no war’ have unfortunately become a platform for those who are angry with the army and the Islamists supporting them. As a result, it has evolved into a platform that fuels hatred and polarization. Consequently, their slogan now reflects: ‘Yes to war until the last flame is extinguished.'”
“We need a platform that genuinely and sincerely rejects war, not just a slogan,” she continued. “A platform that successfully brings together the largest number of civil and democratic forces opposed to war, without seeking personal gains, but rather focusing on the future of the country if this war persists.”
She added: “If this platform is established and succeeds in attracting the majority of Sudanese, then the call for a round table conference in which everyone participates can succeed. This conference can put the details of the full ceasefire agreement, security arrangements, features of reform, security, and military construction, and arrangements for the exit of the military from the political and economic scenes. Unfortunately, the war is still affecting civilians significantly, and addressing its impact requires new perspectives. Let’s take the lessons from this difficult year as an example of how comprehensive change is needed.”
Eradicating the Belligerents and revealing the war agenda.
The Sudanese Resistance Committees are committed to putting an end to the war and establishing much-needed peace. Essam Al-Din Ahmed, the representative of the Coordination Committees of the Resistance Revolutionary Charter, emphasizes that peace can only begin by putting an end to the war and addressing its underlying causes by holding the belligerents accountable and stripping off their political immunity.
He urged to expose the war’s agenda, which aimed to disrupt the course of the December revolution and alter the social and economic structure of the Sudanese people in favor of counter-revolutionary forces represented in regional and international alliances, along with their internal allies of Islamist, rapid support, and armed movements aligned with the same alliances.
Ahmed mentioned in an interview with Beam Reports that the next step is to create a unified programmatic foundation of change stakeholders capable of managing the crisis.
He mentioned that a mass representation conference to determine Sudan’s governance according to the political vision. He strongly believes that the political vision and the revolutionary charter represent significant achievements in addressing Sudan’s issues and putting an end to the war.
Putting more pressure on both warring factions.
The spokesperson for the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces, “Taqaddam”, Bakri al-Jak, believes that the two warring factions must realize that there is no clear military victory for either of them. Continuing the war will ultimately result in their leaders losing control of their forces.
Jack informed Beam Reports that the regional and international communities need to apply more pressure to encourage the involved parties to engage in negotiations. He emphasized that the civilian forces should remain impartial and not align with the narrative of any party, but rather unite to reject it and demand a humanitarian ceasefire that could alter the course of the conflict.
Upholding dialogue and peaceful processes.
The leader of Taqaddam Coordination and former Prime Minister, Abdullah Hamdouk, stated that the war did not erupt suddenly, but its causes were accumulating day after day. He warned about its approach and the disasters it would bring to our country.
In a televised address commemorating the first anniversary of the outbreak of war, Hamdok passionately urged for a commitment to dialogue and peaceful solutions. He emphasized “drawing inspiration from the peaceful resolve of our revolution, which steadfastly maintained its nonviolent approach in the face of violence, obstinacy, and conspiracy”.
Hamdok said that “the conspiracy against the revolution began from its first day by declaring commitment to its goals, then abandoning them and trying to suppress them, as it happened in the massacre in the dispersal of the demonstrators, then signing and denouncing charters and agreements and working with the enemies of the revolution. This culminated in the coup that took place on October 25, 2021. They blocked all the outlets of light that our people gave them and led our country to this Holocaust.”
He continued, “The civil forces remained eager to restore the path of democratic transition. However, we do not deny the mistakes made, especially concerning the unity of the revolution forces. This unity should have been above all considerations because it is the only guarantee to preserve the revolution and its objectives. The civil forces were preoccupied with minor disputes and opened gaps in the wall of the revolution, through which their enemies carried out their actions.”
He said, “Despite everything mentioned above, we have prioritized the safety and security of our country and our people over personal motivations. We have worked with those interested in preventing further escalation of the situation, and have maintained ongoing internal and external communications to prevent war. Unfortunately, some have shown indifference to the potential consequences and impact of igniting the war in the country”
Hamdok confirmed that they extended invitations to the warring parties to meet with the leadership of Taqaddam to discuss ways to end the war. He pointed out that they received positive responses, and this was initiated by a meeting with Hemedti and the signing of the Addis Ababa agreement. He stated, “We look forward to meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”
As for the Paris conference, Hamdok stated that their participation aims to bring attention to the dire conditions faced by our people and to urge the world to take responsibility toward their country and citizens. He further stated, “We are not neutral or mediators. We stand with the families of the martyrs, both military and civilian. We support the people who have suffered numerous violations, and we are in favor of the national democratic program. These goals can only be achieved through a return to the negotiating table and the pursuit of a peaceful, negotiated solution.”
He emphasized, “We acknowledge the extent of the injustice and anger felt by those who have been victims of these violations, and we respect their right to seek retribution. However, we believe that political, military, community, and civil leaders should look ahead and recognize that engaging in war will not restore rights, but instead lead to more crimes and violations.”
