Sudan: According to the UN envoy to Sudan, there are no indications that the conflicting parties are prepared to engage in substantive negotiations to bring an end to the fighting. Despite a fragile 72-hour ceasefire, reports of armed clashes in key areas of the capital city, Khartoum, and other locations suggest that the ceasefire is not fully holding.

During a UN Security Council meeting held in New York City on 25th April 2023, Mr. Volker Perthes, the UN envoy to Sudan, stated that each party involved in the conflict is convinced that they can emerge as the winner.

“There is yet no unequivocal sign that either is ready to seriously negotiate, suggesting that both think that securing a military victory over the other is possible,” Mr. Perthes stated.

Volker Perthes remarked on the fragile and provisional ceasefire that commenced on 25th April 2023 between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN envoy noted that while the truce appeared to be held in certain regions, conflict had persisted in significant areas.

During the UN Security Council meeting, Mr. Perthes condemned the combatants’ disregard for the rules and principles of war, which have resulted in turning Khartoum into a battleground since the clashes erupted on 15th April 2023. The ongoing fighting has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, thousands of injuries, and destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.

Khartoum’s residential districts have been transformed into combat zones where gunshots, tank fires, air strikes, and artillery bombardments have resulted in the deaths of at least 459 individuals, with over 4,000 wounded. The fighting has disrupted essential services, such as electricity and water supplies, and hindered food distribution in a country where one-third of its 46 million inhabitants were already dependent on food assistance.

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