General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met UN Secretary-General envoy Ramtane Lamamra in Port Sudan Sunday to discuss advancing peace. Burhan praised the UN’s efforts and expressed willingness to cooperate as earlier he refused to halt military operations despite RSF’s unilateral ceasefire.
The meeting comes as Sudan faces a worsening humanitarian emergency since April 2023, when Burhan’s army and the RSF erupted into brutal war. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions, while regional and international mediations have repeatedly failed to end the fighting.
The UN warned Thursday that the nearly three-year conflict has pushed 21.2 million Sudanese toward severe hunger across the country. In September, the Quad – the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – proposed a three-month humanitarian truce to begin permanent ceasefire talks.
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo unilaterally declared a three-month ceasefire. Burhan opposed the Quad plan, arguing it dissolves security agencies, marginalizes the army, and leaves RSF in seized areas. The Burhan-backed government says it remains open to negotiations under a roadmap submitted to the UN, demanding RSF withdrawal from cities and civilian sites.
