Description: The foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and the US have formulated a ceasefire proposal which could be the basis for the end of the civil war in Sudan. The joint statement stipulated that both warring parties, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), would agree upon a ceasefire which would last nine months where the basis for a civilian – led government would be established. The proposal arrives after intense fighting in the city of Bara in the North Kordofan State, where the SAF marked their largest military success to date, after storming several RSF camps, killing most of the rebels. Last week, the RSF demonstrated its enhanced aerial warfare capabilities as long – range kamikaze drones were used in several attacks targeting military capacities in the state of Khartoum.
Impact: The quadrilateral joint statement by Egypt, the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates represents the most significant diplomatic effort to date to end the civil war in Sudan. Military efforts on both sides have proven to only prolong and stagnate the civil war while the two – state division of the country has emerged as the leading narrative for resolving the civil war. The statement in its current form exclusively represent political will by foreign powers to invest diplomatic efforts in resolving a conflict located in a strategic country such as Sudan which, economically relies on gold and oil production. Despite representing a significant diplomatic breakthrough, the joint statement in its current form is largely dependent on the response from both the RSF and the SAF, which haven’t demonstrated any preparedness or willingness for reconciliation, which in turn signals the continuation of the war and military confrontations.