Sudan conflict: Peace efforts resume to end ‘drone war’ fuelling humanitarian crisis

“Our first session, devoted to de-escalation, will offer an opportunity to explore practical ways forward,” said Pekka Haavisto, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan, in a call to delegates to identify measures and use their “respective channels of engagement [to] build confidence and help create conditions conducive to a comprehensive ceasefire”. 

Now in its fourth year, the conflict began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – former allies who had jointly seized power in a 2021 coup.  

Deadly drone attacks against civilians and public infrastructure have been a feature of the war and frequently condemned by humanitarian and human rights officials. 

“The war in Sudan has become a drone war; it kills mostly civilians,” said Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary of Switzerland, which is co-hosting the meeting with the UN. “Famine-like conditions persist in Darfur, the Kordofan state and elsewhere in the country; it is the war that drives this hunger.” 

Highlighting the protections offered to non-combatants by international law, Mr. Fasel insisted that the Geneva Conventions “are very clear: the protection of civilians and humanitarian access must not wait for a ceasefire and a political solution. Civilians are suffering and dying today.” 

Millions in need

Across Sudan today, almost 34 million people need humanitarian support, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, Mr. Fasel noted. He also cited UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) alerts that eight million Sudanese children are out of school today. 

“This is not only a violation to the right of education but an immense risk factor for a future stable Sudan. Conflict-related sexual violence has re-emerged as a tactic to terrorise and humiliate the civilian population, often targeted along ethnicity or perceived affiliations,” he insisted. 

In addition to discussing efforts towards a ceasefire, delegates are expected to consider a Sudanese-led “transitional political phase that reflects the aspirations” of the country’s people, by means of “an inclusive and credible dialogue”, the UN chief’s Personal Envoy, Mr. Havisto, said, insisting that “our role is to support the Sudanese in shaping their country’s shared future, with due regard for the diversity of their voices and experiences”. 

Latest round of talks

The talks, known officially as Consultative Meetings on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, have previously taken place in Cairo twice (June 2024 and January 2026) and in Djibouti (July 2024), Nouakchott (December 2024) and Brussels (June 2025) and Cairo (January 2026).  

Neither the Sudanese Government nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are represented at the meeting in Geneva, as the mechanism was established for mediators to coordinate their actions. 

On the margins of Wednesday’s meeting in Geneva, the UN Personal Envoy was also expected to engage with key regional and international partners from the so-called “Quad” mechanism” – involving the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt – and the “Quintet” mechanism of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the UN, the European Union and the League of Arab States. 

The current talks followed a day of humanitarian-focused discussions also at UN Geneva that involved delegations, senior UN officials and international non-governmental organizations operating in Sudan including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Sudan INGO Forum.