Sudan looks towards truce amid unrelenting bleeding

There is neither calm nor psychological stability in Sudan after nearly two years of war. Reports speak daily of civilian deaths and injuries, and of the destruction of vital facilities.

Famine has gripped several areas, displacement continues unabated, and fear haunts citizens in their gatherings and daily shopping, amid an alarming humanitarian deterioration and indiscriminate air raids that do not hesitate to bombard civilian gatherings.

While United Nations data indicate that 33.7 million people across Sudan today require humanitarian assistance, international and UN calls are escalating daily for the declaration of a humanitarian truce during the war that has continued since mid-April 2023.

In this context, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to send the final draft of a proposed UN mechanism to monitor a humanitarian truce in Sudan to the two parties to the conflict, according to what the U.S. President’s Special Adviser for Middle East Affairs, Massad Boulos, revealed.

Boulos stated, during a session on Sudan at the Munich Security Conference, that work on preparing a mechanism to monitor a truce—seen as an entry point to a path that ultimately leads to a political process—has been ongoing for weeks in coordination with the United Nations.

He affirmed that President Donald Trump is determined to end the war in Sudan and put an end to the suffering of Sudanese living through what he described as the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe today.

He noted that the effort comes within the framework of the “international quartet,” comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

He explained that, in his capacity as a U.S. envoy, he maintains equal distance from both sides and does not favor one party over the other.

A Necessary Truce

Amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation, Sudanese activist Al-Shafie Khidir says that “experience shows that a truce in wars is not an end in itself, but achieves two objectives: responding to the humanitarian catastrophe and serving as a necessary and decisive gateway to building a bridge towards a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.”

He added that “with regard to the first objective, since the outbreak of the war in 2023, the lives of millions of Sudanese have turned into an unbearable hell. The first and most urgent function of a truce is to make space for saving lives. Hospitals are operating outside service or have entirely ceased functioning, and they lack personnel, medicines, and surgical supplies.”

He continued: “A truce allows the passage of medical relief convoys, the evacuation of the wounded and sick, and the temporary rehabilitation of health facilities, at the very least, so they can receive critical cases. A truce is the only means to prevent a comprehensive food catastrophe that could claim the lives of millions, particularly in areas affected by fighting.”

He affirmed that “a truce provides a window of safety enabling international organizations to reach them and provide psychological and social support and protection from risks of violence and exploitation. It also allows families separated by the fighting to be reunited.”

No Change in Positions

Since the outbreak of war, more than ten international and humanitarian mediation efforts have been presented to the parties to the conflict in Sudan, but they have not achieved the desired results due to Port Sudan’s insistence on a military resolution.

In this regard, Africa Intelligence magazine revealed that the army commander in Port Sudan, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has submitted his remarks to U.S. negotiators regarding the peace plan proposed by the U.S. presidential adviser for African affairs, Massad Boulos, without agreeing to any concessions or showing readiness for a political settlement thus far.

It indicated that al-Burhan responded to the initiative with official remarks without demonstrating willingness to make concessions or accept any settlement formula, while the Rapid Support Forces affiliated with the government of the Sudan Founding Alliance “Tasees,” led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), insist on removing Islamists and figures associated with the former regime of President Omar al-Bashir from the army and the regular military and security institutions.

Other Proposals

In another context, Kamel Idris Al-Tayeb, prime minister in Port Sudan, had put forward a proposal for a humanitarian truce in Sudan, but that initiative did not receive a welcome among Sudanese circles.

Commenting on it, Sudanese activist Al-Fadil Saeed Sanhouri said that without delving “into the texts of this initiative spoken of by Kamel Idris, prime minister of the de facto government in Port Sudan, we find that it does not go beyond a draft that can be called an initiative.

In truth, it is not of his own making but rather an initiative of the Islamic Movement regime that has returned to power anew following the coup of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the transitional government of the glorious December Revolution led by Dr. Abdalla Hamdok and the war of April 15, 2023.”

He indicated that “the initiative is a draft to legitimize the retention of the other face of the National Congress Party and the Islamists and the military of the Islamic Movement, entrusted to Kamel Idris to market it. They seek to promote it despite its being stale and unsellable merchandise, deceiving the Sudanese people and the international community into believing that they seek to achieve peace in Sudan and end the war they ignited deliberately and with prior intent and planning.” He continued: “Kamel Idris presents the vision of the Islamic Movement and its military cadres on how to buy time and dilute positions for the government of al-Burhan in the face of regional and international efforts and proposed initiatives. All that occupies the mind of the prime minister of the de facto government in Port Sudan now is to continue spreading falsehoods and flimsy justifications to ensure the longest possible continuation and retention of his position.”

Negotiations for Maneuvering

Meanwhile, Sudanese observers speak of maneuvers carried out by the Sudanese army during its participation in negotiations, while simultaneously focusing on military mobilization to continue escalation.

In this context, a journalistic investigation revealed a similar case during the Jeddah negotiations. At a time when the Kingdom was mediating peace, 17 tons of toxic gas were transported through its territory, with the vessel unloading its cargo at Port Sudan on August 9, 2024.

The investigation described the operation as a “diplomatic betrayal” of Saudi Arabia through the exploitation of its ports to smuggle materials used for military purposes without the knowledge of the authorities.

It explained that the case began when the director of the importing company, Colonel Anas Younes—an active-duty armed forces officer appearing in civilian attire to sign contracts and in military uniform on official assignments—used the name “Engineering Ports Company” as a civilian front, claiming specialization in water treatment to legally justify the import of “chlorine” before customs.

According to the investigation, the material was shipped in 17 massive cylinders (Tonners), containers designated for military or heavy industrial use rather than civilian cleaning purposes, noting that such cylinders are the preferred military option for conversion into improvised bombs or chemical explosive barrels.

The operation was carried out in the summer of 2024 beyond international scrutiny, in parallel with peace negotiations at the Jeddah platform. Containers were transported from India to the Jeddah Islamic Port, where they remained for 18 days to arrange their transfer as transit goods.

The Sudanese army exploited facilities granted to Sudanese goods in Saudi Arabia to pass the shipment without thorough inspection of its military contents. On August 8, 2024, the cargo was loaded onto the vessel “ALAHMED,” belonging to the Baaboud company, to ensure reliable commercial cover, following the route India–Jeddah–Sudan, at a time when international observers did not imagine that the Sudanese army would dare to use the ports of the intermediary state, Saudi Arabia, to smuggle chemical weapons.

Upon the arrival of the vessel Alahmed in Port Sudan, “the deception operation was crowned with success, and the weapon reached the army’s hands, leaving Saudi Arabia in the position of a state whose infrastructure was exploited to support an illegitimate war effort without its knowledge.”