Former Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok said Sudan’s war now exceeds the crises in Gaza and Ukraine in severity, arguing that no settlement is possible without a regionally and internationally monitored ceasefire followed by an inclusive national dialogue.
Hamdok spoke on Monday during a main session titled “Geopolitical Shifts: The Middle East” at the second Heli Forum in Abu Dhabi, an annual international platform organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in cooperation with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. This year’s edition, held at the St. Regis Saadiyat, focuses on “Resetting the Global Order: Trade, Technology and Governance.”
Highlighting Red Sea tensions, Hamdok said the waterway’s intertwined interests bind six littoral states, turning any local crisis into a regional one that demands a comprehensive, multi-dimensional response. He called Sudan’s conflict the most dangerous in the neighborhood and reiterated that a ceasefire with regional and international oversight should open the door to a nationwide dialogue that addresses root causes and restores stability.
Sudan has been gripped by fighting between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, killing thousands and displacing millions inside and outside the country. The widening conflict has raised alarms over spillover risks for the Red Sea corridor, a strategic artery for global trade and a theater of mounting regional and international competition.
Hamdok, who led Sudan’s transitional government before being ousted in the Oct. 15, 2021 coup led by SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, now heads the Civic Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (“Sumud”). Formed after a split within the Taqaddum coalition, Sumud brings together political parties, professional and trade groups, resistance committees, and independent civic figures.
