Senior officials gather in London on Tuesday aiming to chart a pathway to peace for Sudan on the second anniversary of its brutal civil conflict, but without the presence of the warring parties. Dubbed the "forgotten war", the conflict which erupted on April 15, 2023 between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a bitter power struggle between rival generals has created what the United Nations describes as the world's worst hunger and displacement crises. 

There are also increasing fears that the tensions will spill over Sudan's borders and stir further instability in the impoverished Horn of Africa region. "This conference will bring together the international community to agree a pathway to end the suffering," said the UK's foreign minister David Lammy, who is expected to host counterparts and high-level representatives. "Instability must not spread -- it drives migration from Sudan and the wider region, and a safe and stable Sudan is vital for our national security."

More than 13 million people have been uprooted and tens of thousands killed, with both sides accused by the United States of committing atrocities. The war has "shattered the lives of millions of children across Sudan," said Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, which estimated that 2,776 children had been killed or maimed in 2023 and 2024 -- up from 150 verified cases in 2022 and still likely an underestimate. A UN-backed assessment has declared famine is now blighting parts of the country. 

Britain's foreign ministry said more than 30 million people were in desperate need, and 12 million women and girls were in danger of gender-based violence."The UK will not let Sudan be forgotten," Lammy vowed, as he unveiled 120 million pounds ($158 million) in new aid for the country. "The brutal war in Sudan has devastated the lives of millions and yet much of the world continues to look away.

"Germany and France as well as the European Union and the 55-member African Union are co-hosting the conference with the British government in London. Ministers from some 14 other countries including Saudi Arabia and the United States are also due to attend, the Foreign Office said, along with high-level representatives from the United Nations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)