The joint statement, June 9 -- The men who started Sudan's war were not in the room. That, more than any deadline or diplomatic formulation, is what separates this week's joint statement from nearly every prior international initiative on the conflict. After three days of consultations in Addis Ababa that ended June 5, a coalition of Western governments and multilateral bodies has endorsed a civilian-led political process for Sudan - one structured deliberately to arrive at a new government before either armed party has won.

ideally - within six months, producing a roadmap toward an independent civilian government.

The Addis Ababa talks, convened by the so-called Quintet of the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the Europea...