UN Secretary-General To Engage AU Leaders on Ceasefire Implementation in Sudan

Ahead of next week’s AU Summit of heads of state and government slated for 17th and 18th February, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said he plans to discuss concrete steps with AU leaders to bring warring parties to the negotiating table and implement a humanitarian ceasefire.

Speaking in a press conference in New York on Thursday, Guterres, who described the Summit as crucial, expressed deep concern about the 10-month conflict in sudan calling it “horrible” and emphasizing the dire need for peace.

He highlighted ongoing collaboration with regional partners like the African Union, Arab League, and IGAD to facilitate dialogue and humanitarian aid.

Gutteres urged the international community and countries with influence on both sides to actively pressure for a ceasefire and engage in diplomatic efforts warning that further fighting won’t solve the crisis and emphasized the urgent need to put an endto the atrocities.

Recall that Djibouti President and IGAD Chair , smail Omer Guelleh, sent a letter to the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan requesting to resume the talks to end the conflict based on their mandate by the Expanded Mechanism.

However, the Sudanese government reaffirmed on Thursday that they remain only committed to the Jeddah Process and reject any other platform.