Sudan’s Path to Peace: How WTO Membership Could Rebuild the Nation. Eltahir Fadil

11:33 PM December, 18 2024

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Eltahir Fadil-السودان
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Geneva 18.12.2024

(The battle for peace has to be fought on two fronts. The first front is the security front, where victory spells freedom from fear. The second is the economic and social front, where victory means freedom from want. Only victory on both fronts can assure the world of an enduring peace).
These words, spoken in 1945 by US Secretary of State Edwin Stettinius during the founding conference of the UN, remain strikingly relevant for many fragile nations today, especially for conflict-affected countries like Sudan, where peace remains elusive.
Sudan has long been labeled as a "pariah state," "rogue state," "failed state," or "fragile state" by international media and scholars—terms that attempt to capture the complex reality of nation plagued by decades of civil war and instability.
The consensus, however, is that today, Sudan is widely regarded as the site of one of the world’s most severe active conflicts. In April 2023, a devastating war erupted unexpectedly, claiming over 100,000 lives, displacing more than 15 million people, and forcing millions of children out of school. While global attention remains focused elsewhere, Sudan’s war continues to rage, pushing millions to the brink of famine.

The conflict has exacerbated Sudan’s already dire humanitarian and economic crises. It is not only roads, schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure that have been decimated, but also social fabrics, trust, and the sense of community. while numerous efforts were made to end the conflict, peace remained elusive, reflecting a complex and protracted conflict that has dominated Sudan for decades. The United Nations, the African Union, and other international organizations attempted various peacekeeping and diplomatic measures, but the lack of a coherent strategy and the lack of a broader vision undermined their efforts.

Despite the repeated failures of various peace agreements to establish lasting peace in Sudan, there remains a glimmer of hope. This hope lies in the recognition of the critical role that economic integration can play in fostering sustainable peace. In this context, reviving Sudan's dormant World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process offers a promising framework for addressing the root causes of conflict through economic cooperation and integration. Accession to the WTO's legal and institutional framework could be a transformative step, enabling Sudan to establish a foundation for enduring peace while avoiding the shortcomings of past peace agreements.

By anchoring Sudan in a global economic framework, future peace talks can leverage this integration to create conditions for sustainable development and reduce the structural vulnerabilities that have historically led to conflict. For peace to be enduring, it must go beyond ceasefires and political power-sharing agreements. Economic stability, underpinned by sound governance and global integration, is just as critical in accelerating peace-dividends.

This in turn, would create sound environment for building a lasting and peaceful future for Sudan. Historically, unregulated and untransparent trade on lucrative sectors such as gold, oil and other natural resources, has been a major driver of conflicts in this country. WTO accession can help regulate and bring these sectors under the rule of law. By establishing transparent and internationally recognized trade rules, Sudan can reduce the monopolization of resources by powerful groups, minimizing one of the main sources of conflicts. This approach would make the distribution of resources fairer, which is essential for preventing new conflicts and creating a stable economic environment.
Moreover, accession to the WTO can significantly empower Sudan’s private sector by establishing a transparent, rules-based economic environment that reduces reliance on personal connections or political influence to conduct business. For Sudan, where informal networks and corruption have historically influenced access to business opportunities, WTO membership can help create a level playing field where companies can compete fairly based on their merits and business strategies rather than government connections.

Hence, beyond mere pursuing international legitimacy or recognition, WTO membership could prove pivotal in peacebuilding efforts. This by providing peace-dividends and offering economic opportunities and breaking the cycle of conflict that has affected the nation. In this regard, Sudan should urgently work towards leveraging the current solidarity of WTO membership towards fragile states. In this connection, the WTO Trade for Peace Programme (T4P) can serve as a suitable forum for Sudan to secure a more fragility-sensitive accession process, ensuring that its unique challenges are considered during this process.

Additionally, T4P can provide technical assistance and support Sudan in meeting the accession requirements more efficiently by addressing critical areas like governance, legal reforms, and institutional capacity building. This programme also facilitates collaboration between trade, peace, and security actors, meaning Sudan can engage not just with trade partners but also with international peacebuilding initiatives, creating a holistic strategy for economic and political stability.
Sudan’s effective use of the T4P in the post-conflict period offers a unique opportunity not only to fast-track its 30 years- accession process but also to address the socio-economic and political challenges that have fueled its fragility. By strategically aligning the WTO accession process with peacebuilding efforts, Sudan can harness global trade as a powerful tool for creating the conditions necessary for long-lasting peace and stability.

Equally, through leveraging WTO membership, post-conflict Sudan can take significant steps toward recovery, ensuring that peace is not just a fleeting pause but a long-lasting foundation for growth and stability. WTO accession not only integrates Sudan into the global economy but also lays the groundwork for sustainable and transparent policymaking. This transparency is crucial for a post-conflict nation, as it reduces opportunities for political elites to manipulate policies for personal gain. This in turn, will help to ensuring that trade policies align with public interest.
In addition, Sudan has long been vulnerable to external interference, with foreign actors exploiting the country’s political and economic instability for their own gain. By aligning its domestic laws with international trade standards through WTO accession, Sudan could establish a more transparent and regulated economic environment. This would limit opportunities for external manipulation of its resources and political system. In doing so, Sudan can safeguard its sovereignty, ensuring that its future is determined by its people rather than foreign powers.
While accession to the WTO is not a panacea, it offers a genuine opportunity to moving away from the current trade policy patterns that fuels the conflict, to more peace-oriented patterns. The process should be seen as part of an innovative mechanism for the post-conflict peacebuilding framework. This involves ensuring that trade and economic policies are aligned with strategies that promote peace and stability. Integrating economic reforms with peacebuilding efforts can help in addressing the root causes of conflicts in Sudan, creating a more stable and prosperous society.
To conclude, irrespective of the nature and form of the government that emerges after the conflict, WTO accession should be high on Sudan's agenda. WTO membership is not merely a symbol of international legitimacy but a strategic tool that can unlock critical pathways for economic growth, rule of law, rebuilding inclusive social fabric and hence sustainable peace.

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