International mediators and the United Nations have launched a fresh effort to end the war in Sudan, as representatives of 27 delegations gathered in Geneva on Wednesday for a coordination meeting.
The meeting, the sixth of its kind, aims to advance efforts to end the conflict, which began in April 2023.
“The war must end,” said Pekka Haavisto, the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, at the opening of the meeting.
Haavisto called for “practical ways forward,” identifying “opportunities for coordinated action” and laying the “foundations for sustained cooperation.”
The United States, China, Germany, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the countries represented at the meeting.
However, neither of the warring parties, the Sudanese government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), participated in the discussions.
The UAE is widely believed to be supplying weapons to the RSF.
Sudan’s army and the RSF have been fighting for control of the country and its economic resources since April 2023.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 14 million, while much of the population faces hunger and inadequate access to medical care.
Despite the humanitarian crisis, vast sums continue to be spent on weapons.
The United Nations has described the situation as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
