“Peace in Sudan … Direction Matters More Than Timing”

Brigadier of Police (Rtd.)
Omar Mohammed Osman
The saying that “the compass was invented before the clock, and direction is more important than timing” carries profound wisdom—particularly when applied to Sudan’s current crisis and the strenuous pursuit of peace. The bloodshed indeed continues, suffering persists, and voices grow louder demanding that the war must stop immediately. Yet we must pause and ask: What is the cost of ‘quick peace’?
Rushing into peace in any form and at any price is, in reality, merely a postponement of another war that will inevitably erupt. The goal cannot be limited to signing a ceasefire or reaching superficial political arrangements designed to appease global public opinion while the roots of the crisis—and the fuel that keeps it burning—remain alive beneath the ashes.
An agreement that fails to address the core causes or dismantle the parallel structures of power that challenge the state is nothing more than a fragile peace. The greatest danger lies in allowing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a mutinous, terrorist militia—to remain as a smouldering ember beneath the ashes. Experience has proven that this is a rogue entity operating outside the framework of the state and its national institutions; it cannot be absorbed or “tamed” through any agreement that preserves its power, influence, or weaponry.
The pressure to stop the war tomorrow may be understandable from a humanitarian standpoint. But if such a halt leaves the RSF as a dominant force or an imposed partner, then we will have sacrificed “the direction of lasting peace” for “the timing of temporary calm.”
The need to reset the compass of peace
Here emerges the importance of correcting the peace compass through effective regional and international intervention. The diplomatic movements of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the wise leadership of Egypt, and the responsiveness of US President Donald Trump (in the context of his potential or long-term influence), all send strong signals that efforts must shift from prioritising timing to prioritising direction.
Through their political weight and strategic influence, these leaders are capable of imposing an agenda that ensures:
the establishment of a unified state built on institutions,
one national army and one security apparatus,
the complete dismantling of the rebel militias, and
the entrenchment of justice and accountability.
Only such a path can extinguish the spark that threatens the stability of the entire region.
Direction vs. timing
Sudanese national forces and the international community must realise that a just and sustainable peace may take longer. As the saying goes:
“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.”
Decision-makers must focus on designing a stable future by dismantling structural causes of conflict (the direction), rather than succumbing to momentary pressures and falling into the trap of temporary, fragile solutions (the timing).
The compass must point—unequivocally—toward a civilian, unified state with a single army. Once this becomes the fixed direction, timing becomes a tactical, not a strategic, matter.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=9636