KHARTOUM — An end to Sudan's civil war remains distant, with the two warring factions refusing to negotiate directly and the international community unable to agree on a common approach.
The war, which erupted in April 2023, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces. The two sides hold sharply different visions for how the conflict should end and what Sudan's future should look like.
A central obstacle has been the army's refusal to sit across the table from RSF commanders — a position that has consistently blocked mediation efforts.
The United States previously led negotiations aimed at establishing a joint peace roadmap, calling for a three-month humanitarian truce, a permanent cease-fire and a Sudanese-led political process to install a civilian government. But agreement among external powers proved elusive.
The war has displaced a quarter of Sudan's 50 million people. Millions lack access to basic services.
Foreign backing for both sides complicates diplomacy further. The United Arab Emirates' support for the RSF has made it difficult for other actors to engage with the Sudanese army on terms that would treat it as the country's sovereign authority.
Analysts say that without direct talks between the two forces and a coordinated international strategy, the fighting is unlikely to stop. Democratic civilian groups, they say, must ultimately determine Sudan's constitutional future — not the armed factions now tearing the country apart.
