Head of Sudanese Mission Addresses an Oxford University Seminar on the War in Sudan
Oxford – Sudanhorizon
The African Governance Forum at Oxford University organized a seminar on Thursday, addressed by the Head of Mission at the Sudanese Embassy in London, Ambassador Abubakr Al-Siddiq.
The seminar, titled “Between Destruction and Hope: Understanding the War in Sudan and the Necessity of Reconstruction,” was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and university students interested in Sudanese and African affairs.
In his address, the Ambassador clarified that what is happening in Sudan is not a civil war or a power struggle between two parties, but rather an external proxy war waged by the Janjaweed terrorist militia. He provided historical background on Sudan’s political development and its geopolitical importance as a microcosm of Africa, a bridge connecting all regions of the continent and linking it to the Middle East.
The Ambassador reviewed the stages of the aggression being carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) terrorist militia, beginning with its attempt to seize power and control the state apparatus. After failing in its initial objectives, the militia turned its weapons against civilians, occupying their homes, as well as civilian institutions and facilities. It then invaded safe states and remote villages, committing dozens of massacres, acts of genocide, and ethnic cleansing.
Ambassador Babiker stated that the Sudanese Armed Forces had recaptured most of the areas occupied by the militia, including the states of Khartoum, Gezira, Sennar, and Blue Nile, and that approximately four million displaced persons had returned to their homes during 2025. He noted the formation of the civilian government in May 2025, led by Dr. Kamil Idris, and the commencement of reconstruction efforts despite the militia’s continued attacks.
He said that the Sudanese people demonstrated remarkable resilience and heroism in resisting the aggression and overcoming its effects. The state and social order did not collapse. He explained that Sudanese expatriates represent the largest donors of aid to those affected by the war.
The ambassador stated that the militia’s retreat to Darfur was accompanied by a resurgence of the patterns of ethnic violence characteristic of the Janjaweed terrorist militia, citing the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher.
The ambassador explained that ending the war and achieving sustainable peace in Sudan can be accomplished through a number of options. First, the Quartet must compel the state sponsoring the militia, the Abu Dhabi regime, to cease supplying the terrorist militia with weapons and force it to halt its aggression, given that it acts under the Quartet’s orders. Second, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must be treated as a terrorist organization, on par with ISIS, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups.
Third, those responsible for genocide and other atrocities must be held accountable, and compensation and restitution of individual and collective rights must be provided. Fourth, the road-map submitted by the Sudanese government to the United Nations must be implemented.
Dr. Mohamed Awad Al-Baroudi, a professor at the United Nations University, participated in the seminar, reviewing post-war reconstruction mechanisms. Dr. Al-Baroudi focused on the opportunities and challenges of rehabilitating vital sectors such as health, education, and other essential services.
Dr. Al-Baroudi also addressed issues of national reconciliation, the principles of post-conflict reconstruction, and the importance of adopting a unified national vision that rebuilds state institutions and establishes long-term stability.
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