ENTEBBE
. President Museveni Thursday met and held discussions with Mr Malik Agar, the deputy Chairperson of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, who called on him at State House Entebbe.
Mr. Agar led Sudan’s delegation, which attended the 12th high-level Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) summit of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes Region.
The two leaders discussed the current state of affairs in Sudan and President Museveni advocated for dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict, emphasizing that identifying the root causes of the conflict is essential for achieving lasting peace.
On the other hand, during the ROM summit at State House Entebbe, President Museveni who assumed chairmanship of the peace mechanism, emphasized the collective responsibility of all involved in the peace processes in the Great Lakes region, with minimal foreign interference.
Since late 2023, President Museveni has engaged with various delegations from the conflicting parties, promoting dialogue and ceasefire initiatives.A civil war began on April 15,2023 between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan.
The conflict involves the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) ,led by Gen.Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ,and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces(RSF),commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo(commonly known as Hemedti) ,who also leads the broader Janjaweed coalition .Several smaller armed groups have also taken part.
Fighting has been concentrated in the capita,Khartoum , where the conflict began with large –scale battle ,and in the Darfur region . Many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the Masalit massacres , which have described as ethnic cleansing or genocide .
Sudan has been described as facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis ;nearly 25million people are experiencing extreme hunger .On January 7,2025, the United States said it had determined that the RSF and allied militias committed genocide .
Since gaining independence in 1956,Sudan has endured chronic instability marked by 20 coup attempts ,prolonged military rule ,two devastating civil wars , and the Darfur genocide .
The war erupted amid tensions over the integration of the RSF into the army following the 2021 coup, starting with RSF attacks on government sites in Khartoum and other cities .
The capital region was soon divided between the two factions , an al-Burhan relocated his government to Port Sudan .
International efforts ,including the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration ,failed to stop the fighting , while various rebel groups entered the war : the SPLM-North (al-Hilu faction) attacked the SAF in the south ,the Tamazui movement jointed the RSF; and the SAF gained support from factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement .By late 2023, the RSF controlled most Darfur and advanced in Khartoum ,Kordofan and Gezira.
The SAF regained momentum in early 2024 ,making gains in Omdurman and eventually retaking Khartoum ,including the Presidential Palace and airport ,by March 2025. Despite renewed negotiations ,no lasting ceasefire has been reached , and the war continues with severe humanitarian consequences and regional implications.