International and African diplomatic figures and Sudanese politicians agreed that the Sudanese army is working to obstruct peace opportunities and thwart opportunities for dialogue to end the war in Sudan.
This is due to its boycott of a number of international negotiating platforms, starting with the Jeddah platform in May-June 2023, the Manama platform at the end of 2023, and the Geneva talks at the beginning of this year.
International figures at a high-level symposium on Sudan held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, considered that the Sudanese army and the extremist Islamic groups fighting alongside it had abandoned all peaceful efforts and expressed hardline positions by pursuing a military solution.
The Sudanese army had concluded arms deals with countries, most notably Iran and Turkey, and had recently concluded an arms deal with Pakistan.
The high-level symposium on Sudan concluded on Thursday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The symposium was organized by the Kofi Annan Foundation, Amina Life, and the Maghreb-African Center.
The symposium aimed to launch a new peace process under the auspices of the African Union, with the aim of bringing together the Sudanese parties to build a sustainable peace process and stop the war in Sudan.
The symposium was opened with a speech by the President of the Omnia Life Organization, Ms. Amina Mohamed, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, and Mr. Mongi Hamdi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia and former Head of the United Nations Mission in Mali and Head of
With a large attendance of representatives of diplomatic missions and representatives of Kenya, the United States, Canada, Mozambique, Botswana, Mali, Portugal, and the representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Twabia Jomo, Head of the Communications and Information Office.
In addition to a delegation from the Democratic Alliance “Sumud” headed by the Secretary-General of the Alliance, Siddiq Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, member of the General Secretariat, Khaled Omar Youssef, and Bakri Al-Jak, the official spokesman.
The conference participants agreed on the necessity of finding a peaceful solution in Sudan because military solutions will not end the bloody conflict that has been ongoing for two and a half years.
They held the Sudanese army responsible for the failure of the peace and negotiation initiatives that began with the Jeddah Forum in May-June 2023, and the Manama negotiations at the end of the same year, and for not responding to the Geneva talks at the beginning of this year 2025 and dealing with them positively.
The conference participants also held both warring parties and the parties fighting alongside them responsible for violations against civilians and the need to protect them and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches them.
Former Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said that the war that has been ongoing in Sudan since 2023 has led to catastrophic humanitarian conditions and contributed to the displacement and asylum of millions of Sudanese to neighboring countries.
Amina Mohammed pointed out the importance of supporting peace efforts and urging the Sudanese parties to engage in dialogue, as well as informing the international community of the reality of the ongoing conflict in Sudan to support peaceful solutions and how to reach a constructive dialogue that ends the war. She warned of the influence of extremist groups and their role in the ongoing war in Sudan.
She also spoke about activating the African role through IGAD and the African Union to push for an end to the war and for Africa to be the platform that finds a solution to the Sudanese crisis.
Amina emphasized the importance of the efforts of the United Nations and its agencies in providing humanitarian aid, as well as supporting diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution and pressuring parties that reject dialogue. She also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the humanitarian aid process proceeds smoothly and that a peace process is launched simultaneously.
Former Tunisian Foreign Minister and UN Representative to Mali, Mongi Hamdi, said during the symposium that the war in Sudan is forgotten in the international media, which makes it largely absent. Hamdi stated that the bloody conflict has led to the displacement of millions internally and externally.
He warned of the danger of the growth of armed and extremist militias in Sudan, which are fighting alongside the Sudanese army, as well as militias that came from neighboring countries to Sudan, such as Ethiopia and Chad, and that the entry of extremist groups increases the internal and regional danger.
Hamdi pointed to the intervention of extremist groups and militias in the fighting alongside the Sudanese army, in addition to the Tigray militia, noting that the multiplicity of militias fighting alongside the army threatens regional security and turns the Horn of Africa region into a hotbed of major conflict.
He added: “It is possible that extremist groups such as ISIS and other radical Islamist groups from Syria, Iraq, Mali, and the Sahel and Sahara of North Africa will come to Sudan because it represents an ideal environment for them.”
Hamdi touched on the accusations that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons, and that this matter requires a serious international investigation to identify those involved.
The situation in Sudan has recently deteriorated, with the army rejecting any peace initiative while using all types of internationally prohibited weapons. The United States has imposed sanctions on the army for this. This means that solutions will be impossible unless pressure is brought to bear on the army by the international community, particularly the African Union, a point emphasized by those attending the dialogue seminar.
Hamdi spoke about the importance of reaching a peace agreement that would lead to the formation of an interim civilian government that would arrange for elections to build the foundation for democracy after the war.
The Communications and Information Officer and Representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Twabia Gomo, stated at the high-level symposium on Sudan that the conflict in this country has led to the displacement of 10 million people since the beginning of the conflict outside Sudan.
The armed conflict has led to severe food and health shortages, and the ongoing fighting in Kordofan and Darfur has affected more than 500,000 people in displacement camps in the Darfur region.
Pointing out their ongoing calls to halt attacks on civilians, he said that 75% of women have been exposed to health and humanitarian risks due to the war in Sudan, which the army is pursuing, rejecting any solutions and even working to obstruct them.
Former IGAD Secretary General Mahboub Al-Moallem warned of the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in Sudan and its dangerous repercussions on the country’s future and its dangerous regional impacts, which are causing Sudan to live in a state of continuous chaos and the continued flow of Sudanese refugees to neighboring countries in search of safety.
Mahboub pointed out the importance of working on all previous regional initiatives since the Jeddah, Manama and Geneva forums, and working on an initiative supported by the African Union and IGAD to get Sudan out of the war tunnel.
Former South Sudan Foreign Minister Barnaba Benjamin also pointed out in his speech during the symposium and to the media that the conflict that Sudan is experiencing will not be limited to this country and that it will have a dangerous impact on the regional environment in light of the growth of armed groups and militias.
Pointing to the role of the Islamic movement and extremist militias in prolonging and continuing the conflict, as well as the intransigence of the Sudanese army in previous times, he considered that the crisis in Sudan reaching the point of having two governments would greatly complicate matters, but we look forward to an African role that would contribute to ending the crisis.
The official spokesman for the Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces “Sumoud”, Bakri Al-Jak, blamed the Islamists and the Islamic Movement in Sudan for the continuation of the conflict and war in Sudan and for bringing the situation in the country to a dangerous social and political division that threatens its unity.
He pointed to the statements of the leadership of the Islamic Movement and the dissolved National Congress Party, both recently and always, that the ongoing war in Sudan is the path that will return them to power.
Pointing to the war narrative adopted by the Islamists through hate speech and racism, he added that the Sudanese army’s violations and abuse of civilians were horrific, as were the violations of the Rapid Support Forces, which were exaggerated by the Islamists and the Sudanese army in order to mobilize civilians and mobilize them to fight within their ranks.
Bakri Al-Jak considered that the issue of ending the war in Sudan through a military solution is illogical and will lead to new wars. The official spokesman for the “steadfastness” of the Islamists renewed the responsibility of fueling the war and investing in it for their political interests and preventing the establishment of a civilian government that would establish a sustainable democracy in Sudan
Al-Jak stated that describing the war as a rebellion by the Rapid Support Forces is an inaccurate description because its causes are known and were sparked by the Islamists, who are now standing against stopping the war and expressing hardline positions.
He added: “The vast majority of Sudanese do not see any good in war.” He added: “Islamists within the Sudanese army, the General Intelligence Service, and state institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been working for two years to obstruct any negotiations to end the war, from the Jeddah and Manama forums to the Geneva talks.”
Pointing out that this initiative, organized in Nairobi, is an important attempt to restore the Sudanese issue to the African agenda, and supports efforts to stop the war and restore the international community’s interest in ending the conflict in Sudan through IGAD and the African Union, and the integration of roles with the United Nations, and reaching a comprehensive path for humanitarian and political tracks.
It is noteworthy that the Kofi Annan Foundation, Amina Life, and the Maghreb Center organized the high-level symposium to launch a peace process in Sudan under the auspices of the African Union.