This article analyses the extent to which the international situation immediately following September 11, 2001 created the basis for an end to the civil war in Sudan. The author argues that the situation is handicapped by certain weaknesses: the internal divisions in the American political class, the lack of determination of actors in the region to engage in real mediation, and uncertainty about whether the warring parties will opt for a political solution. For a lasting resolution to be achieved, the entire Sudanese political field and the demands of all the actors will need to be taken into account, and the fragile but real progress of past peace processes will need to be integrated into the present attempt.
