Sudan’s conflict – civil society and the war between the generals: key takeaways from a roundtable with Sudanese and international experts

This briefing is a learning note from a private online roundtable convened by the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI on June 26, 2023. The roundtable brought together a group of Sudanese and non-Sudanese researchers and analysts working on Sudan to discuss the massive outbreak of violence that has engulfed the country and the response of Sudan’s complex and diverse civil society to the crisis. The note highlights the challenges facing civil society actors in Sudan’s peace processes, including the widespread destruction of infrastructure and limited aid resources. It also discusses the role of multilateral peace negotiations and the need for greater inclusion of civil society actors in these processes. The note further explores the emergence of new decentralised structures led by an independent doctor’s union and neighbourhood-based youth networks, which played a leading role in the 2019 revolution and have survived both the 2021 coup and the latest war. Overall, the note emphasises the importance of engaging with civil society in peace negotiations and supporting their efforts to promote peace and political engagement in Sudan.

The briefing is also available in Arabic.

This briefing was originally published by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).