Senior international officials gathered in London on Tuesday to discuss a potential path to peace for Sudan, marking the second anniversary of its devastating civil conflict. However, the warring parties—the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—were not invited to the talks.
The conflict, which began on April 15, 2023, is described by the United Nations as the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis. The fighting, sparked by a power struggle between rival generals, has displaced millions and caused tens of thousands of deaths. Concerns are rising that the violence may spread beyond Sudan’s borders, exacerbating instability in the Horn of Africa.
David Lammy, the UK Foreign Minister, emphasized the importance of finding a solution to the crisis to prevent further destabilization in the region. The humanitarian toll has been severe, with over 13 million displaced people, and thousands of children killed or maimed. A significant number of women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence.
The conference is being co-hosted by the UK, Germany, France, the European Union, and the African Union, with participants from over a dozen other countries, including Saudi Arabia and the US. The Sudanese government has protested its exclusion from the conference, accusing the UK of treating the RSF equally to the Sudanese state.
Despite these tensions, the international community is determined to find a way forward. Aid pledges are pouring in, with the UK contributing £120 million ($158 million) in humanitarian assistance, while Germany and France have also promised significant support.
The conflict stems from a breakdown in relations between Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, whose RSF militia has strong control in Darfur. The war has left Sudan deeply divided, with the army and RSF controlling separate regions of the country.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced concerns about the continued flow of weapons and fighters into Sudan, warning that external support must cease for peace to be achieved.
