April 15, 2025 marks two years since the war in Sudan began. The conflict, which broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2023, has claimed the lives of 150,000 people and displaced an additional 12 million; 3 million of whom, mostly women and children, fled to neighboring countries.
The war in Sudan has resulted in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, the world’s largest displacement crisis, and the world’s worst hunger crisis. The war is one on civilians, and the fighting has been characterized by conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, not limited to but including internally-displaced-persons camps, hospitals, schools, and churches. Since April 2023, various state actors have attempted to mediate peace negotiations between the warring parties, however, these negotiations have failed to stop the fighting, and Sudanese civilians have critically been sidelined from mediation tables.
While immense challenges persist, Sudanese civilians, both in Sudan and in exile, have a clear roadmap for ending the war and stabilizing their country’s future.
In February 2025, TIMEP brought together Sudanese advocates and policy experts in Washington, DC, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that the country faces as the war nears its third year. Drawing from the convening’s key takeaways, expert research, and interviews, TIMEP is honored to publish “Sudanese Priorities for a US-Sudan Policy Agenda.” This policy paper presents critical context and recommendations implicating the humanitarian situation, the state of civilian protection, the status of negotiations, and the future of Sudan.