Peace must come first

Nearly 200 leading figures from Sudanese civil society called on the Quartet countries to exert maximum effort and pressure on the warring parties to negotiate and reach a peace agreement that would end the catastrophe facing the Sudanese people since April 15, 2023.

The memorandum, outlining its demands, was submitted at midday on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to the foreign ministers of the Quartet countries – the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – and was also forwarded to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Commissioner of the African Union. The memorandum called for the full adoption of the Quartet's roadmap by the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and for these bodies to be authorized to take strong measures to protect civilians, employing all available means in accordance with international law. The signatories of the memorandum included dozens of political organizations, academics, diplomats, writers and artists, lawyers, professional and union leaders, civil society representatives, and members of humanitarian emergency committees and resistance committees.

The memorandum, titled "A Glimmer of Hope: In Support of the Quartet's Efforts for Peace in Sudan," expressed the signatories' full support for the Quartet's efforts to end the war. They considered its statement and recent steps to be "a real impetus towards a just peace" and "a glimmer of hope to extinguish the country's raging fire and restore life to millions of Sudanese."

The memorandum called on the Quartet to exert further efforts with the two main warring parties—the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces—to immediately accept a cessation of hostilities and unconditionally sign the proposed humanitarian truce without hesitation, delay, or obstruction, as a prelude to the start of a political peace process that would restore Sudan's unity and stability. The signatories affirmed that the path to the future must be civilian and peaceful, excluding all military factions and war instigators from any future political role. This requires restoring civil society and amplifying the voices of victims, while completing the revolution's journey towards building a nation where peace and justice prevail.

The memorandum stated that the war, now in its 1,000th day, has reduced villages and cities to ashes, forcing millions into displacement, hunger, and disease. It described the situation as a "criminal sequence of power struggles and military losses," emphasizing that ending the war and its devastation is "the only way for Sudan to survive as a state and a people," and that there is no room for trading peace for justice. The document cited the recent atrocities and brutal crimes committed in El Fasher, asserting that "accountability and swift justice, both nationally and internationally, await all those who have committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide."

The memorandum concluded with a poignant statement

"Peace must come first... Our people deserve life... They deserve peace."