Cairo has played host to meetings attempting to unite Sudanese factions and halt the conflict that has ravaged the country for 19 months, such as the initiative launched by the Tadamon (Solidarity) group — a collective representing retired military personnel — to gather representatives from Sudanese Sufi orders, civic administrators, civil society organisations and professionals around one table.

Tadamon’s latest initiative gathered Sudanese political parties, some of whose members have been reluctant to sit together. The meeting gathered forces aligned with Taqaddom (the Coalition of Democratic Civil Forces) led by former prime minister Abdallah Hamdok, alongside the Communist Party and the Popular Movement led by Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu.

The aim of these gatherings appeared to centre on unifying the so-called revolutionary forces, with Taqaddom planning a meeting in Kampala, Uganda, to further discuss strategy in the face of the latest developments in Sudan.

Deliberations encompassed the role of civil forces in halting the conflict, fostering cohesion, offering aid to victims and curbing hate speech.

Major General Kamal Ismail, a prominent figure in Tadamon, said the meetings advocated for collaborative efforts between political and civil forces to halt hostilities and reinstate a democratic civil transition.

Meanwhile, the National Mechanism to Support Democratic Civilian Transformation and Halt the War in Sudan said 20 political and revolutionary groups, professional and union bodies, and youth and women representatives are scheduled to meet by video conference on 20 November to discuss building a civil coalition to terminate the conflict.

Ahmed Hussein, the head of this mechanism, said the forthcoming roundtable will attempt to transcend narrow frameworks and introduce a fresh paradigm in Sudanese civil and political discourse.

There are also efforts to introduce a third way, advocating for an expanded coalition encompassing all factions opposed to the war.

While meetings between these movements, coalitions and groups may suggest a collective drive to end the violence plaguing Sudan, divisions and lack of unity risk diluting the collective impact. Should these groups manage to overcome their differences, they could potentially coalesce into a robust and unified force, a genuine representation of the Sudanese people able to play a role in steering the country post-war, exerting influence on international and regional deliberations concerning Sudan, and opposing external interventions, internal divisions and hate speech.

Many observers have drawn attention to the need for collaborative action from forces within Sudan to push for a halt to the war and end the staggering human and material toll.

The number of children displaced since 15 April 2023 has surpassed seven million, as reported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) which says the Sudan war imperils the future of an entire generation — 24 million children face imminent risks to their right to life, safety, protection, education, health, and development — and has urged action to prevent the recruitment of children into armed forces.

Thousands of Sudanese children have died since the start of the war and IOM has published disturbing reports detailing child exploitation, deprivation of basic necessities, preventable diseases claiming young lives, 14 million children in dire need of humanitarian assistance and 32 per cent of children grappling with malnutrition.

US Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello said outgoing US president Joe Biden will intensify efforts to broker a deal before leaving the Oval Office on 20 January. Sudanese factions extended congratulations to president-elect Donald Trump, albeit with a degree of trepidation given the opaque nature of future US interests and strategies in the Middle East and Africa.

In the meantime, the toll the conflict is exacting on the people of Sudan grows daily. Unless Sudanese factions —including civil, military, and other influential groups — unite to champion Sudan’s interests, the country will continue its descent into chaos, with ordinary civilians paying the price.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 November, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly