Mediators gather at UN for push to end Sudan war

International mediators convened at a UN-backed forum in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, aiming to coordinate a push to end Sudan's ongoing war. Drones continue to strike civilians in markets and homes, killing an estimated over 153 people in recent attacks. Nearly two dozen nations participated, under UN pressure for more aggressive action against the belligerent parties and those supplying their weapons.

Neither the Sudanese government nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attended the session, which aimed to unify peace efforts. The meeting occurred a day after the UN denounced drone strikes on a market and fuel depot in the contested Abyei region, with reports citing fatalities exceeding 153 individuals. Local officials are investigating the attacks, implicating Sudan's Armed Forces, who have been clashing with the Rapid Support Forces for over three years over the disputed Abyei territory.

The UN Secretary General's Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, condemned the drone attacks in Abyei and another on a market in Al Dibab, West Kordofan State on Sunday, emphasizing the relentless attacks on Sudan and their devastating impact on communities already grappling with conflict consequences. The war, now in its fourth year, remains fiercest in North and South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur, while drone strikes menace civilians nationwide.

Millions have been displaced, suffering famine-like conditions and needing humanitarian aid. At the Geneva forum, representatives from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and neighboring countries, alongside major powers and international organizations, convened to discuss ceasefire efforts and a Sudanese-led political transition.

Pekka Haavisto, the UN's Personal Envoy on Sudan, urged swift action to ensure April 2027 marks a turning point towards peace, while Alexandre Fasel, Switzerland's State Secretary, highlighted the war's devastating human toll, noting that eight million children remain out of school and conflict-related sexual violence has resurfaced as a method of terrorizing the civilian population.