The capital of North Darfur and the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) last stronghold in the region, Al-Fasher fell following an 18-month siege marked by starvation, relentless bombardment and terror. Its seizure by the RSF is more than a mere shift in Sudan’s devastating conflict which has already displaced over 12 million people and produced the world’s worst hunger crisis. It has unleashed mass atrocities, confirmed the RSF’s complete military dominance across Darfur, and effectively sealed Sudan’s partition into two fractured, warring proto-states.
Responding to those extremely worrying developments in Sudan, Egypt’s dear southern neighbour, which has a direct bearing on Egyptian national security, Cairo has moved quickly to renew efforts to end the war in coordination with its close partners, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The four countries make up what is known as “the Quad”, which has taken primary responsibility since the civil war broke out in Sudan to restore stability and maintain the unity and territorial integrity of the country.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held immediate consultations with his Sudanese counterpart, Mohieldin Salim, to discuss the critical humanitarian and security situation in Al-Fasher. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Sudanese people and its commitment to ongoing efforts aimed at achieving stability and peace in Sudan. He reiterated Egypt’s commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, noting that Sudan’s stability is vital to the region. The Egyptian foreign minister also spoke over the phone with Massad Boulos, the US president’s senior adviser for African, Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Both parties stressed the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Sudan, the importance of preserving the country’s unity, borders and national institutions, safeguarding the Sudanese people’s resources, and ensuring their security and stability, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
Hardly a few weeks before the latest devastating developments in Al-Fasher, the Quad members met on 12 September and agreed on a detailed plan to restart efforts to end the war, beginning with a three-month humanitarian truce. That was to be followed by nine months of negotiations and preparations among Sudan’s political factions to hold elections in which to choose a new government to run the country after this brutal, ugly war. This mediation effort by the Quad along with other countries with influence on the situation inside Sudan, such as Turkey and Qatar, is more urgently needed than ever now the United Nations has warned that the humanitarian situation in Al-Fasher is catastrophic, with tens of thousands displaced and aid deliveries blocked.
Backing Egypt’s principled position on Sudan, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that external interference and continued arms inflows are undermining opportunities for peace. He condemned the ongoing violence and called for unrestricted humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. Following contacts by Egypt and the United States, the leader of Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, said the Sudanese army does not object in principle to a three-month humanitarian truce initiative. This is a welcome position that should be built on by prevailing on the RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to adopt a similar stand.
Indeed, reaching a truce will take time due to complex technical, security, and logistical details, including monitoring, follow-up and implementation mechanisms. However, in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Darfur, and the atrocities reported to have been committed by RSF forces, and filmed by RSF fighters, there is no time to waste. Egypt, along with other Quad members, is now working to reach an understanding on a complete framework for a ceasefire, then open the door to the post-truce phase. This is what the Quad committee addressed in its statement on 12 September, and should develop into a roadmap for the future despite the recent military developments in Al-Fasher.
However, the humanitarian help the Sudanese people need must not be linked to any political or military arrangements, and should start immediately in coordination with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. Both warring parties in Sudan are obliged to secure aid delivery across the country, even without a formal ceasefire.
One question that must also be addressed in ongoing efforts by Quad members to end the war in Sudan is the commitment of all external parties to stop providing the weapons and support that has kept the civil war ravaging the country for two and half years. The Quad has already addressed this thorny issue in its 12 September statement, calling for a complete cessation of all forms of external support. Yet, what has been missing is a serious effort to make this happen.
The Quad members are also required to work hard to avoid a repetition of the Libyan scenario in Sudan, especially after the fall of Al-Fasher and the RSF taking control of areas in Kordofan. The Libyan experience was very telling in how creating two “parallel governments” is a recipe for endless civil war, undermining the unity of the country and its institutions. The victim in both cases, Libya and Sudan, are the peoples of the two countries.
The fortunes of the warring parties have ebbed and flowed, but those of the Sudanese people have only deteriorated. Until there is a peace deal, it is unlikely that Sudan will ever be able to achieve stability, let alone rebuild. As it is the country risks state failure and perpetual troubles afflicting its neighbours and the entire African continent as a result.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 November, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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