As the United States advocates for a 90-day humanitarian truce, Sudan's warring factions continue to prioritize military victories over mediation efforts. Efforts to establish truces in Sudan have repeatedly failed, exacerbating the country's humanitarian crisis. Fighting has intensified, with the United Nations warning that the humanitarian system in Sudan is nearing collapse. Aid organizations have called for immediate truces to address the crisis, but rival factions persist in their military engagements, often violating local ceasefires.
The civil war in Sudan began in April 2023, following escalating tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan's 18 states, displacing 14 million people and resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Various international mediation efforts have sought to broker ceasefires, but these have often failed amid ongoing starvation cases.
The Jeddah Declaration, initiated in May 2023 and mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia, provided temporary humanitarian access but collapsed due to violations by both factions. Regional mediation efforts through the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) have similarly faltered, with truces breaking down shortly after implementation.
The US has increased its diplomatic efforts, launching the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) initiative in Geneva, in collaboration with Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, the UN, and the AU. US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos recently committed $375 million to humanitarian efforts in Sudan, emphasizing that there is no military solution to the conflict.
The US has renewed calls for a 90-day humanitarian truce and for access to emergency aid for affected communities. Fighting continues across multiple fronts, with claims of military gains from both the SAF and RSF. Analysts attribute the failure of truces to the political ambitions of the leaders of the warring factions, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the SAF and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) of the RSF.
Fathi Abu Ammar, a Sudanese academic, stated that the military leadership is stalling negotiations to maintain power, while supporters of the SAF believe they are in a strong position following recent victories. Mohammed Ibrahim al-Rashid, director of the Center for International Political Relations Studies, suggested that the RSF is facing defeat and that an SAF victory could lead to an end to the war.
Experts believe that international diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict are currently ineffective. Cameron Hudson, a former adviser to the US envoy to Sudan, argued that punitive measures without engaging the warring parties in negotiations are counterproductive. He suggested that the US should consider providing incentives for peace rather than relying solely on pressures, which have not yielded successful outcomes.