កតិកាសញ្ញារីយ៉ាដ-វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន៖ ព្រឹកព្រលឹមថ្មីសម្រាប់ប្រទេសស៊ូដង់?
The proposed peace framework outlines three core phases to establish peace, beginning with a three-month humanitarian truce.
The civil war between the two main rival factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has intensified into a humanitarian catastrophe and widespread geopolitical disaster since its outbreak in April 2023. Regional and international alarm only continues to grow as over 150,000 people have died, 12 million have been displaced, fleeing their homes, and over 24 million people are facing acute food insecurity. The war has shown little sign of abating as peace talks in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have so far failed, smaller independent militias have begun attacks, and the SAF has said it would not trust the RSF to respect a truce. Yet, this past week (November 19th, 2025), President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) discussed the US’s role in peace-making in the region. Following the meeting, Trump announced, “We will work with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to get these atrocities to end, while at the same time stabilizing Sudan.” This marks the strongest US commitment to resolving the conflict in Sudan since it began.
The political void created by the ousting of Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and subsequent coups has driven the conflict today. The military government led by Generals Burhan (SAF) and Hemedti (RSF) split when they disagreed on the direction of the country. The infighting quickly devolved into full-on civil war. Interestingly, Iran and Russia have both played a role in supplying weapons and military equipment, profiting off the instability while also looking to Sudan as a potential location to establish military bases.
The Quad nations, on the other hand, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, have developed a roadmap for restoring peace to the region. The framework, proposed on September 12, outlines three core phases to establish peace, beginning with a three-month humanitarian truce. This time will allow for the creation of a permanent ceasefire, followed by the desired outcome of a nine-month transition to a civilian-led government. The plan hopes to bring rapid humanitarian access to the crisis, which has now led to refugee overflow into neighbouring countries. Ultimately, the re-establishment of a national authority as a civilian-led government will restore political legitimacy. Legitimate governing authority is desperately needed for the facilitation of sustainable regional stability, African Union harmonization plans, and eventual infrastructural development.
The US has played a key role in working towards the Sudan Peace Roadmap. Since 1 April, Massad Boulos, the Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, has been directly tasked with finding a US-driven peace initiative. With the establishment of a Joint Operational Committee for the Quad in late October, the US State Department has also helped to shuttle diplomacy between the SAF and RSF, using direct negotiations to call for humanitarian assistance. Massad Boulos has taken a leading role in moving US-Sudanese relations forward, much like his role in the development of the Washington Accord, which established a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in June. MBS further amplified international interest in resolving the conflict by discussing the matter with Trump directly. Consequently, Trump pledged to personally end the Sudan war, marking a shift in the US’s role in Africa.
The US brings significant real power mechanisms, which could drastically change the outcome of the conflict, such as sanctioning power, diplomatic inroads, and multilateral negotiating tactics with Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Certainly, US and Saudi cooperation forecasts a higher likelihood of conflict resolution that could fundamentally reform the region.
US policies have explicitly targeted Islamist actors linked to Tehran’s influence through the use of OFAC sanctions. Furthermore, the Quad functions to align the pro-stability regional powers into a powerful bloc. Collectively, they can prioritize the prevention of extremism in Sudan. Resolving the conflict holds huge humanitarian potential; however, the Quad is also driven by several key political interests. An unstable Sudan, which harbours extremism and cultivates widespread violence as well as migration, poses a long-term and growing security threat to Middle Eastern investments and US-led development in Africa. Furthermore, Sudan borders the Red Sea, which hosts shipping routes vital to global supply chains. Preserving transparency and security in the region will prevent predatory states like Russia or Iran from gaining a foothold in the area and will demonstrate the US’s resolve to partner with other states.
Peace in Sudan will require reinforced Sudanese sovereignty. Any political transition must involve Sudanese participation at all class levels and the removal of foreign-funded militias and extremist networks. Critically, both the SAF and RSF will need to agree on a legitimate constitutional framework. Ultimately, as the Washington Accord noted for the DRC and Rwanda, enforcement mechanisms will matter more than the initial declarations. This will require continuous US-Saudi coordination and a structured negotiation plan with clear benchmarks. There must also be a clean incentive model for both generals to come to a compromise agreement. The Quad road map can deliver humanitarian relief, a ceasefire, and eventually political stability that could transition Sudan into a more representative government; however, without sustained US leadership and a clear and disciplined implementation of the roadmap, Sudan’s hope for peace remains fragile. President Trump’s commitment to creating peace in Sudan, along with MBS’s alignment, shows the strongest diplomatic development for peace-making so far.
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