Conflict and mediation in Sudan: The prospect of peace

Abstract

ABSTRACT Omar Al-Bashir's thirty-year rule over Sudan ended in April 2019 with a military coup following a popular uprising. Subsequently, the army and civilian political forces agreed on an African Union-mediated transitional framework. However, the transitional process collapsed, leading to an all-out civil war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. One year later, the mediation efforts by different actors have not yielded the expected results. As the war continues, the displacement of people and the destruction of infrastructure is increasing. The paper discusses the reasons for the lack of progress in the ongoing mediation and points out critical aspects regarding the prospect of peace in Sudan. It argues that while the need for a ceasefire is essential, it is important to acknowledge that the current conflict is the culmination of the overall failure of nation-building. To avoid past mistakes and break the cycle of violent conflict in Sudan, the ongoing mediation efforts should be able to pave the way for a long-term peacebuilding process to address the root causes of the protracted conflict and redefine the fundamentals of Sudan as a nation-state.