Trump鈥檚 peace tactics in Sudan
In his self-portrayal as a global peacemaker, President Donald Trump prefers to employ arm-twisting pressure to stop a conflict, such as in Gaza. Yet for one of the most intractable wars 鈥� a civil conflict in Africa鈥檚 third-largest country, Sudan 鈥� he might be relying on principled persuasion.
The reason? Mass atrocities against civilians on both sides of that 18-month-long war have pushed many nations with a strategic stake in Sudan to join a Trump-led effort for a humanitarian truce. On Monday, the U.S. senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, said Sudan鈥檚 rival military forces have agreed in principle to a three-month truce, which would allow safe corridors for delivery of vital aid.
If a pause in fighting does help the millions of Sudanese in need, it would be a nod to a global norm that recognizes the innocence of civilians in battle zones. And here鈥檚 the overlooked benefit: If the two armies driving the conflict can agree to allow access for aid, the initial goodwill can be a toehold of trust for more difficult talks on a political peace.
鈥淪udan鈥檚 tragedy is not inevitable,鈥� wrote Medani El Shibly, executive director of the Cognizance Centre for Strategic Studies, in the Sudan Tribune. If a truce is well enforced, monitored, and financed, he added, 鈥渋t can turn the battlefield into a bridge toward peace.鈥�
A due respect for the protection of civilians is not the only force at work. Many Sudanese participated in a 2019 pro-democracy uprising that felled a dictator. After the military ended that dream, and then split into two warring factions, civilian activists have kept alive a popular desire for a sustainable democratic transformation.
But first, Sudan needs a softening of hearts after frequent massacres of civilians. The latest massacre, which occurred in late October in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, was even denounced by the leader of the Rapid Support Forces that were accused of the atrocity. Mohamed Hamdan 鈥淗emedti鈥� Dagalo promised that any soldier who committed a crime would be held accountable.
He also told his troops: 鈥淒o not harm [civilians], do not attack their property, their land, or their honour.鈥� If he means it, the United States-led peace plan has a future.
