More than 1,100 days into a devastating civil war, Sudan is showing cautious signs of institutional recovery while its civilian leadership presses the international community for a structured path to peace. Prime Minister Kamil Idris carried that message to the United Nations Security Council in December, presenting the Hope Government’s blueprint for ending a conflict that has uprooted communities, shattered the economy, and left millions dependent on foreign humanitarian assistance.
The peace framework put forward by Idris is built around four pillars: a comprehensive ceasefire under joint supervision by international and regional institutions; the assembly of rebel militia forces in agreed, designated locations; the facilitated voluntary return of displaced persons and refugees to their home regions; and a model of transitional justice designed to balance accountability with forgiveness and national reconciliation.
The Hope Government, which is approaching its first anniversary, presented its vision against the backdrop of a Berlin conference convened to mark three years of war — a gathering that underscored the growing international urgency surrounding Sudan’s crisis.
At the heart of the conflict is the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia accused of systematically dismantling civilian life. The RSF displaced ordinary Sudanese from their villages and farms, and in the months before the war erupted, transferred heavy weapons from regions across the country into Khartoum. On April 13, 2023, the militia moved to surround the airport in Merowe, a northern Sudanese city — an act described as a direct violation of army traditions and military law that effectively signalled the beginning of open hostilities.
Since then, the Sudanese army has reclaimed large areas previously held by the RSF, and the government has pointed to a series of institutional milestones as evidence of stabilisation. The United Nations has returned nine of its agencies and bodies to Khartoum. Sudan has restored approximately 80 percent of the medical institutions and facilities damaged or destroyed during the fighting. A president of the Constitutional Court has been selected, signalling a gradual reconstitution of the country’s legal architecture.
Yet the economic toll remains severe. Inflation stood at roughly 55 percent in February — a figure that, while alarming, represents a dramatic improvement from the 359 percent recorded in 2021. Gold production has reached approximately 70 tonnes annually, described as the highest output during the war years, offering one of the few bright spots in an otherwise battered economy.
Regional support has proved critical to Sudan’s survival. Egypt backed Sudanese institutions through the most difficult periods of the conflict and kept its borders open to those fleeing the violence. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has remained a consistent advocate for peace, while Qatar, Turkey, and Kuwait have delivered humanitarian aid to affected populations.
The Hope Government’s appeal to the Security Council reflects a broader diplomatic strategy: internationalising the ceasefire mechanism to give it credibility and enforcement weight that purely bilateral arrangements have so far failed to achieve. By proposing that rebel forces be assembled in designated locations under international oversight, Idris is seeking to address one of the central obstacles to any durable settlement — the RSF’s ability to disperse, rearm, and resume hostilities.
The transitional justice component of the framework is equally significant. Sudan’s war has been marked by widespread atrocities, and any lasting peace will require communities to confront a painful reckoning. The government’s proposal to balance forgiveness with reconciliation suggests an awareness that punitive justice alone cannot rebuild a fractured society, but that impunity is equally untenable.
As Sudan enters its fourth year of war, the distance between the Hope Government’s vision and the reality on the ground remains vast. Millions remain displaced, infrastructure in many regions lies in ruins, and the RSF continues to operate across significant portions of the country. Whether the international community — and the Security Council in particular — will translate diplomatic engagement into the kind of sustained pressure needed to bring the militia to the negotiating table remains the defining question of Sudan’s immediate future.
