UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday that United Nations officials will meet with Sudan’s warring parties in Geneva. While he did not disclose a date for the discussions, this move signals a potential step towards peace in the war-torn country.
Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have enganed in a brutal conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 12 million more. The conflict drew global outcry in October, as reports of mass atrocities emerged after the RSF seized El-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the western Darfur region, following a bitter 18-month siege.
Access to El-Fasher
Guterres revealed that the UN had been promised access “in the very near future” to El-Fasher, which remains cut off from communications, with the RSF controling access to Starlink satellite services in the area. “Nobody behaves well but there is one side that clearly is committing atrocities of the worst character, and that’s the RSF,” Guterres stated in a televised interview with Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya.
When asked about the potential for dialogue, UN spokesman Farhan Haq clarified in New York that the body currently envisions facilitating “technical-level talks” between the heavily armed sides. Haq optimistically added, “we’re hopeful that we can move ahead,” emphasizing that “certainly the importance of technical-level talks is to pave the ground for something more productive down the line.”
International Efforts for Peace
Guterres met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh on Wednesday, which reflects the Kingdom’s active role in seeking peace in Sudan. Last month, US President Donald Trump reignited hopes for a breakthrough in the peace talks after expressing his willingness to help end the conflict following Prince Mohammed’s urging during a visit to Washington.
Saudi Arabia is part of the Quad, a coalition of four mediating nations that has intensified peace efforts in Sudan, which also includes the United States, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, all of which are key allies of Washington and influential over the warring factions.
