Intensified regional and international efforts are underway to revive initiatives aimed at ending the war in Sudan, which has faced a stalemate for over a year.

Previous talks between the warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, have struggled to generate significant breakthroughs towards a peaceful resolution.

Saudi Arabia's commitment to continue its efforts through the 'Jeddah Platform' for resolving the Sudanese crisis received considerable attention from Sudanese stakeholders during the recent Baghdad Summit.

The Sudanese government's official spokesperson announced on Sunday that a high-level consultative meeting was held on the sidelines of the summit, engaging UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat.

The meeting discussed the potential for a stronger international response aimed at achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Sudan.

Leaders from these three organizations affirmed their commitment to the unity and sovereignty of Sudan, emphasizing the need to avoid the collapse of its national institutions.

At the same time, they highlighted the urgent need for a 'consistent vision and approach' to address the ongoing conflict.

Sudanese Sovereignty Council member Ibrahim Jaber presented a roadmap during Sudan's address at the Baghdad Summit, which the government submitted to the United Nations and mediators in March.

This roadmap includes a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Rapid Support Forces from all areas they control.

According to the Sudanese official, the roadmap outlines the resumption of the political process with the appointment of a civilian government composed of independent competencies, accompanied by a comprehensive Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue aimed at facilitating elections.

The roadmap has sparked controversy.

The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, welcomed the proposal, which, however, drew criticism from several political factions who viewed it as biased towards one side of the conflict and exclusionary of civil components.

In this regard, the Chairman of the Executive Office of the 'Federal Gathering' party, Babiker Faisal, asserted that the reintroduction of the roadmap at the Arab Summit resembled imposing conditions of a victorious party on a defeated one, failing to reflect the realities on the ground.

The Rapid Support Forces rejected the UN's support for what they considered a 'one-sided initiative' from the army, arguing that it undermined the credibility of the UN as a 'neutral mediator.'

Faisal emphasized the necessity for both warring parties to return to negotiations at the 'Jeddah Platform' and engage in serious dialogue to halt the fighting, referring to previously achieved agreements that reached 85% consensus on details for ceasing hostilities and ceasefire.

Concerns persist regarding the political will to end the conflict.

Faisal stated that there is currently insufficient genuine determination to halt the war, noting that what might have been feasible two years ago at the conflict's outset may now be more challenging to achieve.

He welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s declaration at the Gulf-Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh about continuing efforts to end the war, expressing hope that this would lead to actionable steps for resuming the 'Jeddah Platform' and inviting warring parties back to negotiations, especially since significant progress was made in prior discussions.

The desired outcome from the 'Jeddah Platform' is to facilitate an agreement for a ceasefire, ensuring humanitarian aid delivery, civilian protection, and allowing civil forces to determine the political process following the cessation of hostilities.

Mubarak Al-Fadhel Al-Mahdi, the head of the 'Umma - Reform and Renewal' Party, criticized the army's roadmap presented to the UN as unrealistic, highlighting its omission of the army's commitments under the Jeddah Agreement signed in May 2023, mediated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, to protect civilians.

He additionally pointed out that the roadmap ignored principles established in the Manama Agreement, which was co-signed by Deputy Army Commander Lieutenant General Shams Eldin Kabashi and Rapid Support Forces Deputy Commander Abdul Rahim Dagalo, representing an important framework for political and military resolution.

Al-Mahdi asserted that the Jeddah and Manama Agreements form the genuine foundation for ending the war, returning to civil governance, and establishing a professional military separate from politics.

He called on leaders of the Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to fully comply with both agreements, urging adherence to regional and international calls for action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing the Sudanese people.

Osama Said, head of the 'Conference of the Bija' Party and affiliated with the 'Rapid Support Forces' alliance, expressed that the army's roadmap represents an attempt to circumvent the foundational principles outlined in the Manama Agreement.

He remarked that the proposed conditions will not lead to a genuine peace process, emphasizing that any resolution should be grounded in mutually agreed-upon principles by the conflicting parties and addressing the roots of the crisis through negotiations.