The African Union and Sudan’s War: Between Peace Efforts and Ending the War Obstacles

The paper addresses the roles played by the African Union and the policies and efforts aimed at ending the war, in addition to the obstacles it faced in implementing its policies and how they affected its interventions. The problem is that the geopolitical conflicts of interest among African Union member states that influence the war in Sudan have had a negative impact on the African Union's policies toward the ongoing conflict, in addition to problems of weak funding and lack of independence in decision-making and policy implementation. The paper proposes a set of policies, including the formation of separate negotiating committees for each camp of civilian and military political forces, the establishment of a special high-level mechanism with the United Nations, and the addition of provisions regarding increased funding for member states within the African Union. The paper also makes recommendations to the African Union on the need to restructure its institutions, amend the financial obligations of member states to similar levels, and form specialized committees on the war in Sudan with broad powers to achieve political and military rapprochement. It recommends that the military forces accept the mediations and committees that the African Union may form, involve civilians in the negotiations, and prepare them for the post-war period. It recommends that the political forces agree to sit down with the African Union committees, listen to the views that will be conveyed by the other forces, and present clear plans to reach a peaceful solution that will end this war. The importance of the paper lies in its focus on interventions and solutions that could have a significant impact on ending the April war that is still raging in Sudan.