As the war in Sudan continues to maim and displace millions, a disturbing reality emerges: the quest for peace seems entangled in a power struggle. Negotiation platforms, mediators, and even foreign leaders compete for control of the process, often prioritizing personal agendas over the desperate pleas of the Sudanese people. This article delves into this unsettling dynamic, exposing its themes, hidden motives, and the reasons for its failure to deliver a lasting solution. But it goes beyond mere critique. We explore a vision for a genuine peace process, one that transcends simply stopping the fighting and instead tackles the root causes of this devastating conflict.

Less than a month following the outbreak of the April War, the joint mediation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United States of America (US) succeeded in bringing together delegations representing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah to negotiate an end to the war. On May 11, 2023, the two parties agreed to a declaration of principles and specific commitments governing the negotiation process. The declaration set the negotiation agenda with the aim of protecting civilians and reaching a short-term ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the restoration of basic services, with a commitment to scheduling subsequent expanded discussions to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities. Perhaps most importantly, the declaration stipulates in its second clause that commitment to the declaration will not be linked to engagement in any political process.

However, the negotiations faltered and did not succeed in achieving any of these goals until the KSA and the US announced the suspension of negotiations between the two parties to the conflict in Sudan, on June 2, 2023. After stopping for more than 4 months, negotiations between the SAF and RSF resumed on October 26, 2023. Under the auspices of US-Saudi mediation, they were joined in this round of talks by a representative of the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD).