Sudan at a Crossroads

Sudan's long history of violence, compounded by the 2023 conflict, has pushed the nation to the brink. The war has increasingly taken on ethnic and tribal dimensions, tearing apart an already fragile social fabric in many regions of the country. The ongoing crisis has driven millions into displacement, heightening pressure on host communities, exacerbating competition over limited resources, and fueling inter-tribal divisions, hate speech, and polarization. The path ahead for Sudan will therefore be long and fraught, demanding sustained efforts to rebuild trust, community cohesion, and inclusive governance.

The Urgency of Investing in Social Cohesion

Investing's in Sudan's social cohesion is imperative. For decades, UNDP has invested in building and sustaining the country's peace infrastructure, identifying and supporting local actors with the capacity to mitigate violence, resolve conflicts, and foster peace at the community level. This foundation-through strained by displacement and muted by intensity of conflict-remains present and relevant. In the absence of tangible progress at the Track-1 level, there is now a critical opportunity to shift focus toward these community structures. They are uniquely positioned to nurture the shared parameters of peaceful coexistence that will be essential for Sudan's recovery and long-term stability.

Strengthening Local Capacities and Empowering Civilian Actors as Peace Catalysts

Even amid Sudan's unprecedented current conflict, civilian actors have demonstrated their continued relevance. At the early stages of the war, they were able to broker localized peace agreements. This resilience underscores their ability to build peace even under the most adverse conditions. These actors' deep embeddedness in their communities, their networks, and their knowledge of local conflict dynamics, combined with long history of peacebuilding efforts, uniquely position them to promote dialogue in the current conflict. UNDP aims to invest by strengthening their capacities and providing practical support, including logistical assistance, to enable them to lead conflict resolution, prevention, and transformation processes. At the same time, UNDP will play a bridging role, linking these voices to Track-1 efforts by connecting them to multilateral spaces and to the Office of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General (OPESG). 

Strengthening Civilian Preparedness for Peace and Governance

As the conflict evolves, UNDP's strategic expertise will ensure the UN Country Team in Sudan is prepared to engage meaningfully in a political process. Key governance issues - such as constitution-making, institution rebuilding, elections, justice and accountability, and security sector reform - are likely to feature prominently on the agenda of peace negotiations. UNDP's role will be critical in ensuring that these discussions include the voices of civilians inside Sudan. It is essential to start capturing and strengthening these perspectives to prepare civilian voices for meaningful participation. In doing so, UNDP helps lay the groundwork for inclusive negotiations that reflect the realities on the ground and foster legitimacy and local ownership.

Laying the Groundwork for Transitional Justice

This preparatory work is already underway in the justice sector. As of September 2025, UNDP Sudan is conducting an assessment to identify the justice needs and accountability expectations of communities affected by both the current war and earlier cycles of violence. By capturing these voices - including the perspectives of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) - UNDP is laying the foundation for victim-centred and locally grounded accountability strategies that can meaningfully inform future Track-1 negotiations on justice and accountability.

Alongside this, UNDP is already providing psychosocial support and legal aid to survivors in Khartoum, while tackling stigmatization and ensuring women's experiences are central to peacebuilding efforts. Without this investment now, the opportunity to embed local understandings of justice into Sudan's eventual transitional justice agenda would be lost, leaving peace processes disconnected from the realities of those most affected. 

A Unique Position for Impact

UNDP's longstanding presence in Sudan and trusted relationships with civil society actors place it in a unique position to drive these efforts from within the country. By capturing the voices of civilians most affected by the conflict and helping them articulate their needs, demands, and experiences, UNDP ensures that these perspectives carry weight when negotiations do take place. In doing so, UNDP helps ensures that the perspectives of conflict-affected civilians - women, youth, victims, and survivors - are not just heard but shape the future of Sudan.

Main achievements in 2025:

• The Peace on Wheels campaigns is working with tuk-tuk drivers and women community leaders to reach 35,000 people with peace messaging in conflict-affected neighbourhoods.