Foreign Affairs published on 2 October 2025 an article titled "Sudan's War Is the Shape of Things to Come" by Alan Boswell, International Crisis Group.
The Quad (United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE) has proposed a peace plan to end the conflict in Sudan. The author questions whether the United States is prepared for the long-term engagement required to achieve the goals of the plan.
The retreat from the region by the United States over the past 15 years has diminished its influence. Once strong US engagement in the Horn of Africa is no longer the case, and the region is suffering the consequences.
At the same time, regional middle powers are stepping in to fill the void. Sudan has become the center for this middle power contest. Peacemaking has become even more difficult in a region where it already was a major challenge.
