Written by: Badr Ahmed

Political and civil forces from Sudan, during two days of meetings in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, approved the second Declaration of Principles document, along with a new roadmap aimed at ending the ongoing war in Sudan and preparing the country for a transitional phase leading to democratic civilian rule.

This agreement is seen as one of the most significant attempts to unify Sudanese anti-war forces since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, coming after months of consultations and contacts between political, civil and armed parties seeking to end the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. .

Sudanese forces adopt roadmap to end war

The revised declaration of principles stressed the need for the political process to be entirely Sudanese-owned, with broad participation from forces opposed to the war, to ensure sustainable solutions to the crisis. It also condemned the continuation of military operations and the resulting loss of life and widespread humanitarian crises.

The proposed roadmap included a temporary ceasefire for three months, renewable, with the aim of creating an atmosphere conducive to building trust between the warring parties.

It also called for the formation of a joint military committee to monitor the implementation of the truce, investigate violations and hold those responsible accountable, in addition to establishing a political ceasefire commission to oversee the implementation of the agreement and resolve disputes between the participating parties.

The participants in the meetings stressed the need for the political process to lead to a comprehensive and final peace agreement, a transitional constitution, and a unified national security and military system through which the multiplicity of armies and militias will be ended through integration or demobilization programs within a single professional national military institution.

The participants also stressed the importance of unifying international and regional mediation efforts within a single platform based on the roadmap proposed by the Quartet mechanism, which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, while rejecting the multiplicity of negotiating platforms, which they considered to have contributed to prolonging the crisis and complicating the paths to peace.

The final statement affirmed the commitment to the unity of Sudan, both its land and its people, and rejected any plans for partition. It called for the formation of a broad civil front encompassing all forces committed to the goals of the revolution and the democratic transition. The statement also appealed to regional and international powers and humanitarian organizations to support efforts to end the war, reiterating that a military solution is not an option for resolving the crisis and that ending the war is an urgent national priority that paves the way for peace, stability, and free elections in the future.