A diplomatic effort to restart stalled peace talks over Sudan’s civil war is underway, with foreign ministers from 20 countries meeting in London. The two-year-old conflict has prompted a devastating humanitarian crisis, with as many as 150,000 people dead and almost a third of the country displaced.
The conflict began after the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, and escalated into a full-blown war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its paramilitary partners, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been accused of perpetrating genocidal acts against African ethnic groups in Darfur.
The UN has described the conflict as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with widespread reports of atrocities including the rounding up and executing of refugees and aid workers. The RSF has denied killing any civilians, but local rights groups have detailed the worst atrocities perpetrated during the current war had occurred inside a displaced camp.
Sudanese officials have expressed anger over being excluded from the talks, while some countries have been accused of fanning and fueling the conflict. The US, UN, and several rights groups have said the RSF committed acts of genocide during the war, largely against groups of ethnic Masalits, Zagawas, and Furs in Darfur.
As fighting intensifies in western Sudan, humanitarian efforts are under pressure. A recent siege on a key city has caused international outrage, with over 320 people already killed. The situation remains dire, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in cramped conditions without basic services.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/g-s1-60340/sudan-civil-war-peace-talks