Sudan peace conference opens in London without warring factions

Global powers gather to discuss humanitarian crisis and future of Sudan as conflict enters third year.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the London Sudan Conference in London on April 15, 2025. Photo by Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

As the Sudan conflict marks its grim second anniversary, international officials gathered in London on Tuesday for a Sudan peace conference without the attendance of the warring parties, in a renewed attempt to break the deadlock and alleviate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The Sudan peace conference, hosted by the United Kingdom and co-chaired by Germany, France, the African Union, and the European Union, aims to secure new humanitarian commitments and chart a diplomatic course toward ending the brutal civil conflict.

The war, which began on April 15, 2023, has evolved into one of the most devastating global crises, yet remains largely neglected on the international stage. The fighting pits Sudan’s national army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), under Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The roots of their rivalry stretch back to a failed power-sharing agreement following Sudan’s 2019 revolution and a military coup in 2021 that derailed the country’s fragile democratic transition.

A humanitarian catastrophe worsens

The absence of both sides from the Sudan peace conference has not deterred attending countries from emphasizing the urgency of halting the violence. In his opening remarks, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy declared that “the UK will not let Sudan be forgotten,” noting that instability in Sudan has the potential to spill across the region, increasing migration flows and jeopardizing international security.

Lammy announced a £120 million ($158 million) humanitarian package, aimed at addressing the acute needs of over 30 million people across Sudan. Among them, 12 million women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence, according to the British government.

“This conference will bring together the international community to agree a pathway to end the suffering,” Lammy said. “Instability must not spread—it drives migration from Sudan and the wider region, and a safe and stable Sudan is vital for our national security.”

Harrowing statistics and escalating displacement

The Sudan peace conference comes at a time when international humanitarian organizations are sounding the alarm about the worsening situation on the ground. UNICEF’s executive director, Catherine Russell, painted a bleak picture, revealing that at least 2,776 children had been killed or maimed in 2023 and 2024—a staggering increase from just 150 confirmed cases in 2022.

A United Nations-backed assessment has declared that parts of Sudan are now suffering from famine. The scale of human displacement is almost unfathomable: more than 13 million people have fled their homes since the conflict began. Many are now scattered across Sudan’s borders, fueling fears that the Horn of Africa could be plunged further into chaos.

Diplomatic tensions and absent voices

Despite the lofty ambitions of the London summit, the absence of Sudan’s warring generals was impossible to ignore. The Sudanese government expressed its discontent, stating that it was not invited to the Sudan peace conference. Foreign Minister Ali Youssef criticized the event in a letter to Lammy, accusing the UK of equating the internationally recognized government with the RSF militia.

Youssef wrote that Sudan’s sovereignty had been undermined and accused Britain of bypassing formal diplomatic channels. However, German officials countered that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF had shown no willingness to engage in peace efforts or participate in international dialogue.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, describing Sudan’s situation as “the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time,” announced an additional €125 million ($142 million) in German aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot added that France would contribute €50 million to the humanitarian response.

The divided state of Sudan

Two years into the war, Sudan is functionally split. While the RSF holds large swaths of Darfur and the southern regions, the army has reclaimed the capital, Khartoum, and maintains control over the eastern and northern territories. The territorial division has left Africa’s third-largest country in a precarious state, with no unified authority and limited prospects for peace unless both sides are brought to the negotiating table.

The African Union’s commissioner for political affairs, Bankole Adeoye, emphasized that achieving peace in Sudan “depends on valuing every voice and everyone playing a role in building a prosperous Sudan.”

External arms flow and regional instability

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday of continued arms shipments into Sudan, adding that the flow of external weapons and fighters must end. While he did not name specific nations, regional observers have long alleged foreign backing for both sides. The RSF is believed to have received support from actors in the Gulf region, while the army maintains ties with Egypt and other neighboring states.

Humanitarian agencies, meanwhile, are struggling to deliver aid. The International Committee of the Red Cross’s president, Mirjana Spoljaric, said that two years of “a ruinous war” have left Sudanese civilians “trapped in a relentless nightmare of death and destruction.”

She called on both the army and RSF to respect the humanitarian agreements they’ve already signed in past negotiations. “It’s time for concrete steps, not just commitments on paper,” Spoljaric added.

A turning point or another missed opportunity?

Whether the Sudan peace conference in London becomes a turning point or another missed opportunity remains to be seen. While the diplomatic show of force and increased humanitarian pledges signal renewed interest in ending the war, the absence of Sudan’s primary belligerents casts a long shadow.

“The world must not look away,” Lammy reiterated. “Sudan’s people deserve peace, and this conference is a step toward that goal.”

If the international community hopes to resolve the Sudanese conflict, it must find new ways to pressure the warring factions into meaningful dialogue—whether through targeted sanctions, incentives for peace, or a broader regional strategy. For now, the people of Sudan continue to wait, suffer, and hope that the next chapter in their nation’s story brings relief rather than ruin.