Sudanese leaders call for an end to war on Independence Day

On the 70th anniversary of Sudan’s independence, prominent political figures have issued statements calling for an end to the current conflict, describing the war not as an unavoidable fate, but as the consequence of systemic political failures and totalitarian rule.

In a statement on January 1, titled, “Seventy years since Sudan’s independence and the question of the state remains: how do we govern ourselves without fighting each other?”, Maryam El Sadig El Mahdi, Sudan’s former foreign minister and vice-president of the National Umma Party, argued the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is the result of political failure, “not destiny.”

“This conflict stems from sins and transgressions committed, or left unaddressed, under totalitarian rule marked by the absence of political participation, the rule of law, and accountability,” she said.

Ending the war, she argued, requires more than temporary deals. She called for a “conscious reconciliation” based on justice, recognition of victims, learning from the past, and a clear vision for the future.

“We need unity built on truth, not denial,” she said, adding that sovereignty is “not protected by weapons alone, but by a social contract that safeguards the people’s dignity.” She stressed that dignity cannot be sustained through aid, but through a responsible state that places women’s rights at the centre of peacebuilding and treats women as equal partners in ending the war and preserving society.

‘Sudan for the Sudanese’

Restoring trust in politics, national parties, and popular participation is “not a luxury, but a condition for Sudan’s survival.” El Mahdi argued that meaningful participation is impossible without the genuine empowerment of women and their equal inclusion in peace processes, decision-making, reconstruction, and transitional justice. She also called for a new role for youth, saying “a generation worn down by repeated wars should become the builders of peace, not the fuel of conflict.”

Addressing the international community, El Mahdi said support for peace must begin with respect for the will, unity, and sovereignty of the Sudanese people, backing a just path that prioritises civilian protection and human dignity.

“The National Umma Party has long argued that Sudan should belong to its people, rather than become the spoil of war, a hostage to weapons, or an arena for external conflicts.” She warned that the absence of a just state and the dominance of violence over politics have put independence itself at risk, despite the sacrifices made to achieve it.

“On the 70th anniversary of independence, we must renew our commitment to a different future,” she said, “a civil, just, and unified state where Sudan truly belongs to the Sudanese.”

‘Failure to build a civil state’

In a statement marking Sudan’s independence, Omar El Degeir, chair of the Sudanese Congress Party, echoed the sentiment that the ongoing war is “not simply an armed confrontation between rival forces,” but the outcome of a “prolonged failure to build a civil state capable of monopolising the use of force.” El Degeir warned that the continuation of the conflict is producing a humanitarian catastrophe while threatening Sudan’s unity, increasing risk of fragmentation.

“Ending the war must not be reduced to a fragile settlement based on power-sharing arrangements or the imposition of solutions dictated by the balance of force.” Instead, he argued, it should lead to a national consensus that affirms the country’s unity and redefines the foundations of the state.

El Degeir stressed that such a consensus can only be achieved through a serious, peaceful political process. He called on the Sudanese majority to unite against those seeking to prolong the war and to push for a humanitarian truce that silences the guns, allows the delivery of aid, and opens the way for a political process capable of producing that consensus.

‘National will and external initiatives’

Reflecting on international efforts, El Degeir said experience has shown that external initiatives to end the war are “often vulnerable to the conflicting interests of participants.” He said that even the broadest international agreement would fail to deliver sustainable peace unless it is accompanied by decisive national action that “restores politics from the arena of weapons to that of dialogue.”

Reclaiming national will, he said, does not mean confronting foreign powers or rejecting their role in ending the war. Rather, it requires a unified national vision able to engage realistically at regional and international levels, guided by the national interest as the ultimate reference for foreign relations.

‘The challenge of self-reckoning’

According to El Degeir, the real challenge facing the Sudanese people today is to develop the historical awareness and courage for self-reckoning necessary to break with an accumulated legacy of failure. He called for building “a democratic, civil state that accommodates all components of society” and “institutions that represent citizens and guarantee a dignified life for all, without exclusion or discrimination.”

“The Sudanese people share one homeland shaped by history and geography, a reality that carries a moral obligation to recognise diversity, affirm equal citizenship, and accept mutual concessions.” He said these principles are essential foundations for national unity, not temporary political arrangements vulnerable to collapse during crises.

Tracing Sudan’s political history, El Degeir noted that from independence in January 1956 to the Declaration of Freedom and Change in January 2019, “including the October and April uprisings,” one pattern stands out: the Sudanese people have repeatedly succeeded in rising up collectively for change, but have faltered in transforming those uprisings into a stable state. “This history demonstrates that collective action with a unified will is never impossible, even when crises deepen,” he said, describing it as the key to achieving major national gains.