UN envoy says diplomatic push on Sudan intensifies despite war

UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan Pekka Haavisto said Wednesday that diplomatic efforts to end the country's civil war are intensifying despite continued fighting, highlighting new confidence-building initiatives following a sixth consultative meeting in Geneva.

Speaking to reporters after the two-day session co-hosted by the United Nations and Switzerland, Haavisto noted growing international engagement with Sudanese political actors. "We also are witnessing more diplomatic efforts than earlier around Sudan," he said, pointing to a successful visit to Khartoum in September and subsequent meetings with political groups, women and youth representatives.

Confidence-building measures

Haavisto outlined two nascent confidence-building measures under UN exploration, describing them as "baby steps" compared with the widespread destruction wrought by the conflict. The initiatives include potential exchanges of prisoners of war and detainees — both civilian and military — alongside efforts to facilitate students' access to examinations regardless of their location within Sudan.

However, Haavisto cautioned that some parties in Sudan continued to believe they could achieve a military victory. "We, the international community, are saying that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan," he stated, stressing the imperative of diplomatic negotiations over battlefield gains.

International coordination

The Geneva gathering brought together representatives of 21 countries and five international institutions to discuss security arrangements, humanitarian truces and possible ceasefires. Haavisto highlighted intensified coordination between the Quad — comprising the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Egypt — and the Quintet, which includes the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, League of Arab States, European Union and United Nations.

Swiss Ambassador Tim Enderlin, head of the Foreign Ministry's peace and human rights division, told reporters that delegates sought to establish an inclusive process. "We tried these two days to come up with coordinated efforts that will help to establish a peace process that can be inclusive, that involves the people of Sudan, where their voices are heard," Enderlin said, adding that the aim was to ensure the process "in the end, is Sudan-owned and Sudan-led."

Humanitarian crisis

Enderlin warned that the consequences of the conflict extended far beyond Sudan's borders to neighboring states. The war has left approximately 34 million people dependent on humanitarian assistance, with officials describing the situation as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.