Sudan's war, now in its fourth year, has displaced approximately one quarter of the country's population, with drone attacks escalating and humanitarian aid funding stalled at just 16% of what is needed. A conference in Berlin brought together around 40 civilian groups in an effort to produce a political roadmap toward ending the fighting, though the direct parties to the conflict — the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (a paramilitary group that broke from the army and triggered the war in April 2023) — were absent from the talks. The Sudanese government has also expressed reservations about the composition of participants, raising serious doubts about whether the Berlin initiative can translate into meaningful progress on the ground.