Former Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok has called for an “immediate, unconditional” end to the war in Sudan and urged General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) to follow the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in publicly welcoming peace efforts and a ceasefire.
In a speech carried late Tuesday by platforms affiliated with the Civilian Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumud), which he now leads, Hamdok warned that the continuation of fighting is laying the ground for “total social and economic collapse” and risks turning Sudan into “a hotspot and fertile ground for terrorist groups.”
Hamdok praised what he called the resilience of ordinary Sudanese in the face of hunger, displacement and daily hardship, saying they had shown “indescribable patience and unmatched steadfastness.” He said people had confronted hate speech with “solidarity, compassion and faith in the homeland,” in ways that help preserve the country and contribute to rebuilding it. He reiterated his commitment to the slogans of the December Revolution – “freedom, peace and justice” – and to peaceful solutions “in the face of the gun.”
Addressing both warring parties, Hamdok appealed for an immediate halt to hostilities, saying: “The continuation of the war serves only ruin… there is no winner in it; everyone loses.” Incitement to keep the war going, he added, amounts to “direct participation in killing.” “Words are a stance that carry responsibility,” he said, stressing that Sudan can accommodate all its people “if we turn to reason and abandon the language of weapons.”
Hamdok specifically called on the SAF “to follow the example of the RSF in publicly welcoming peace efforts and a ceasefire with no conditions,” and to adopt de-escalation initiatives led by foreign mediators, “foremost among them the Quad initiative.” He urged mounting political and popular pressure on the military establishment to accept a truce that would halt hostilities.
He commended the efforts of the Quad countries – the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – and their proposed roadmap, saying it had restored to Sudanese “a glimmer of hope for life, for stopping the bloodshed, and for preserving the dignity of Sudan’s people.”
Hamdok also called on the wider international community, regional bodies and Sudan’s neighbours to coordinate their initiatives and move to concrete steps, including an immediate ceasefire in line with the Quad proposal, unfettered humanitarian access, protection of civilians and an end to indiscriminate shelling of residential areas.
He urged the United Nations to create a special regional mechanism for Sudan to coordinate the entry of aid and facilitate its delivery to displaced and affected people inside the country and in neighbouring states.
Ending the war, Hamdok said, “is not an end in itself,” but the only gateway to restoring a democratic path that can rebuild Sudan on the basis of justice, equal citizenship without discrimination, and the rule of law. He called for an inclusive, fair and credible political process rooted in the goals of the December Revolution.
Hamdok previously served as prime minister during the transitional period that followed the fall of Islamist rule under former president Omar al-Bashir. He was deposed in a military coup in October 2021 and now heads the Sumud civilian alliance.
