Challenges of Peace Building in Sudan By: Taha Daoud

01:19 PM October, 13 2020

Sudanese Online
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The intensive and long peace negotiations held in Juba during the last few months between the transitional government of Sudan and three of the prominent armed movements, namely, the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) which formed a coalition named the Revolutionary Front, were successful by all measures, and made a significant breakthrough.

Said efforts under the patronage of the government of South Sudan resulted in the final signing of the historic peace agreement between the transitional government of Sudan and the Revolutionary Front on October 3, 2020 in Juba, thus putting an end to the bloodiest civil war in the African continent.

Unlike the way the ousted regime of ex-President Al-Basheer viewed the peace process, things now are completely different. The peace talks, this time, proved that the concerned parties came with open minds and a true desire to put an end to all sorts of violence in the country. All issues were honestly and frankly discussed by the concerned parties in Juba talks.

In fact, above success is partially attributable to the new atmosphere created by the Sudanese revolution of December 2018. The removal of Al Basheer regime has brought about a solid and reliable grounds for achieving justice, freedom and peace.

Yes, challenges are still on every corner. Our citizens are suffering from price inflation, shortages of power supplies, poor health service, etc, nonetheless, there is a big hope for improvement. Our political, economic and social conditions will change to the better. To win our future in a peaceful and prosperous Sudan, we should pay the initial price of change, let it be shortages in bread, fuel and gas supplies against freedom, justice and peace. This situation is conceived, to my mind, to be only for a temporal period, as all indicators confirm that the economy will restore its energy and growth soon.

I do believe that the vast majority of people in my country share the feeling that their country now is on the right track, and the economy will soon start growing and improving.

Our teenagers, the real heroes of December revolution and the determinants of the political future of this country are looking forward to a genuine implementation of the new visions and strategies explicitly stated in the Constitutional Document.

Our transitional government together with its supporting political parties and trade unions are liable to bear their responsibility towards the commitments and obligations associated with the transitional period. Dr. Hamdok and his government are politically as well as ethically obliged to lead us on this historic moment till the election stage in the end of the transitional period.


The peace process is not as simple as people may expect. It is an ongoing process that all concerned parties including the government, the military, the armed opposition factions, the victims, etc., should have the will to be pacemakers, and I do agree with Mohammed El Taayshi, member of the Sovereign Council on his comment on the peace process that the talks between the government and the Revolutionary Front can be considered more as a dialogue between partners than negotiations between opponents (4 Sept 2020).

We need, on this critical and pivotal moment of our country's destiny, to cooperate rather than to compete, and to reciprocate positive thoughts instead of rumors. We need to replace hostility by love.

Our brothers and sisters living in such poor refugee shelters for almost two decades, deserve, beside the expected rehabilitation programs, messages of apology, tolerance and love from the current ruling establishments, namely, the Sovereign Council and the Cabinet.

The victims who suffered from violence, rape and destabilization in Darfur, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile districts are waiting for initiatives from the political parties and civil society organizations which could help them to restore hope and confidence that December Revolution has created a new political environment in which not even a single accused person of war crimes will escape from investigation and accountability.

In conclusion I would say, our country is big enough to accommodate all of us provided that the differences are tolerated. Ethnically and culturally we are diverse, but we share a lot of things that can unite us and enable us to build a new healthy and wealthy nation.

Taha Daoud

Arabic Forum