The Current - A ceasefire proposal to Sudan's civil war

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

Sudan's paramilitary force has agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. that could bring some relief to the country that's been gripped by conflict for over two years. The Sudanese Armed Forces has not weighed in yet. The UN is calling the conflict one of the worst humanitarian crises of the century. We talk to Professor Kahlid Medini, the Chair of African Studies Program and the Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill about what more Canada should be doing.

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The country's paramilitary faction, called the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire proposal. Sudan pledged into civil war in 2023 after a struggle for power broke out between the government's army and the RSF. The RSF has accused of committing atrocities against non-Arab groups. It's estimated that at least 150,000 people have been killed in the fighting, at least 14 million people displaced. The UN calls it one of the worst humanitarian crises of the century. Last week, the violence escalated after the RSF seized the city of Elfashir in North Darfur. Officials say RSF fighters killed as many as 2,000 people, humanitarian groups say it appears to be ethnic cleansing of indigenous non-Arab communities. Sudanese Canadians are calling on the Canadian government to do more to stop this war and provide

humanitarian aid. Halad Mustafa Medeni is the chair of the African Studies Program and a professor of political science at McGill University. Khalid, good morning. Good morning to you. What has it been like for you to watch what has been happening in Sudan from abroad? Well, it's been very difficult. It's coming on. It's almost three years. And so it is devastating to see not only what is happening in that fasciate, of course, that you mentioned in Northern Dad 4, but throughout the country. As you mentioned, in only less than three years, you have 14 million people displaced, three million refugees across the borders of Sudan, and even in those places that are seemingly stable, the basic infrastructure has completely collapsed. And, of course, it's devastating to see

that on a daily basis. One worries about one's family, but also the country. And I think policymakers, increasingly are worried about the entire region and the stability of the region. And so it's a concern to Sudanese, myself, but also the international community and everyone who cares about human rights. You have friends and family still there. How are they doing? My family and friends are in more stable areas, not in al-Fashir, but the problem is that even when there is a relative peace or a pause in the fighting, there is no electricity, no access to clean water. The epidemic of cholera has really plagued the entire country.

So it's very difficult. At the same time, some of my family have evacuated to Egypt, which is something that we're grateful for. But I'm one of millions, really, that is watching with great trepidation. And, of course, Sudanese Canadians are doing everything they can to get the Canadian government to assist and help, including bringing a Sudanese to Canada to reconcile with their families. So there's a lot of work going on, not only in Sudan, of course, people fighting this war,

but throughout the world, the Sudanese diaspora has mobilized in an unprecedented fashion to try to assist, not only in terms of the humanitarian aspect, but also to urge international actors, the United States and Canada, the European Union, definitely the regional countries, African countries, to try to bring this war to an end. I want to ask you more about Canada. in a moment. There is this, I said, a glimmer of hope because of this U.S.-led group, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, proposing a ceasefire. It involves a three-month humanitarian truce. The army has yet to respond to this proposal. There have been ceasefire agreements in past that have been put out in the last couple of years. None of them have

stuck. How hopeful are you that this one will? I'm more hopeful this time. I'm cautiously optimistic, of course, you have to use that phrase. But there's something different about this particular round of negotiations that really began in July and has been reaffirmed by the Quad countries on September 12th with their issuing a statement. The difference with these negotiations is they actually include the most important stakeholders, the regional stakeholders to the conflict. That is not only the United Arab Emirates, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia. And for the first time, we see countries that have been at odds in terms of competing interest over Sudan and this war, supporting different sides, for example, actually coming together under the auspices of the United

States. So on that level, it's very, and we've said from the very beginning there's no military solution to this. Most, in fact, all African conflicts end through negotiations rather than through military victory. And so in that sense, I am cautiously optimistic. This comes following a number of, as you said, a number of attempts at peace talks and the implementation of ceasefire. So it's a slow process. It needs to be sustained. Other countries should join and they are joining slowly. But I think that I'm optimistic cautiously because for the first time you have the countries that have been at odds that are actually doing something. What is problematic from my perspective and those who understand these kind of wars in Africa and elsewhere is

that there is, as of yet, no inclusion of Sudanese civil society actors. So that becomes kind of that's a missing link. And what needs to happen is that the United States and the Quad have to bring in Sudanese civil society actors, if indeed they do want to push for not only a ceasefire, but transition to a civilian government in the future. We just have a couple of minutes left. You hinted at what you are looking for from the Canadian government.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Anita Aran, posted on social media, couple of weeks ago condemning the violence in Darfur, but also saying that Canada has pledged over $100 million to Sudan this year. What more would you want to see from the Canadian government in response to this conflict? I would like to see a more rigorous participation in these negotiations. One kind of recommendation that many have put forward, including in the global mail, is to appoint a special envoy to Sudan and the Sahel region. I think first and foremost, The Canadian government understands that this is a very volatile region. It has a potential to destabilize and has destabilized the entire region.

It ranges from the Sahel region to the Red Sea region. So I think the appointment of a special envoy to Sudan and the Horn of Africa and the Sahel is extremely important. There is, in addition to the push for humanitarian intervention, also I would really kind of recommend that the Canadian government joins, even in an intervention. formal way, the quad, in pushing for ceasefire and a negotiated settlement. And I think the Canadian government is really well placed because it's relatively neutral in the conflict to use its good offices to bring in what is also missing. And that is the participation of African countries, including the regional block of the Horn of Africa, I Gad. So Canada has a humanitarian role to play, which I think it is very, you know, well placed to do. But it also has a political

role to play. And I would like to see a more rigorous intervention politically as part of Canada's Africa Strategy, which it released last year in March, if you recall. So I think that item of security and peace that is central to Canada's Africa Strategy would be promoted with an appointment of an envoy that sustains these negotiations and joins the Quad in trying to seek a truth and then a sustainable kind of ceasefire. And then, of course, a transition to a civilian government. Optimism, even cautious optimism, has been hard to find over the course of this war. I will take your cautious optimism to heart in hoping that better days are ahead.

Khalid Mustafa Medani, thank you very much for this. Thank you. Khalid Mustafa Medani is chair of the African Studies Program and a professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University in Montreal. This has been the current podcast. You can hear our show Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 at 838. at all time zones. You can also listen online at cbc.ca.ca slash the current or on the CBC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening.

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