The international quartet on Sudan, comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, held a meeting in New York on Thursday with the participation of representatives from the European Union and the United Kingdom, amid renewed calls for an immediate humanitarian truce.
According to the UAE state news agency WAM, the meeting was attended by UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, who stressed the urgency of coordinated regional and international action to end the war and support Sudan’s transition to civilian rule.
The meeting came only hours after SAF chief and head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reiterated his refusal to agree to a ceasefire unless the Rapid Support Forces withdrew from what he described as “occupied areas” and regrouped in designated zones. Burhan also reaffirmed his rejection of any mediation role by the UAE, according to Sudan’s official news agency SONA.
WAM reported that the Emirati minister underscored the “importance of joint regional and international efforts” to support a transition toward a civilian government independent of the warring parties. He called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian truce to allow aid to reach all parts of Sudan without obstruction, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a credible transitional process leading to civilian rule free from armed groups and extremist forces.
In September 2025, the international quartet proposed a roadmap calling for a three-month humanitarian truce as a first step toward a permanent ceasefire, followed by an inclusive nine-month transitional process aimed at forming an independent civilian government.
However, Burhan reiterated on Thursday evening, during a public event in Omdurman west of Khartoum, that there would be “no truce with rebel militias” while fighting continues in cities and towns, accusing the RSF of ongoing violations against civilians.
He again rejected any UAE role in mediation, accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF. Sudan’s SAF-led government severed diplomatic relations with the UAE on 6 May 2025, alleging that it had supplied the RSF with advanced weapons used in attacks on Port Sudan. The UAE has repeatedly denied these accusations, insisting it does not interfere in Sudan’s internal affairs.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between the SAF and the RSF over the future integration of the paramilitary force into the military. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, leaving tens of thousands dead, pushing parts of the country into famine, and displacing nearly 13 million people.
