UN presses Sudan for humanitarian access as government rejects Quartet ceasefire

Senior United Nations officials began their visit to Port Sudan yesterday, seeking to remove obstacles to humanitarian aid and ensure life-saving supplies reach millions of Sudanese affected by the conflict. The city, controlled by the de facto government, became the centre of intensive diplomacy as top UN envoys met with Sudanese authorities and their Egyptian counterparts to discuss aid delivery and humanitarian corridors.

The visit comes amid the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) refusal to engage with a three-month ceasefire initiative proposed by the Sudan Quartet, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem told reporters after trilateral talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher that the Sudanese government does not treat the Quartet initiative as official.

“The Quartet was not issued by a UN Security Council resolution or any international organisation, so the Sudanese government does not deal with it formally,” he said.

Salem emphasised that Sudan prefers bilateral coordination and described the discussions with Egypt and the UN as reflecting “full understanding and cooperation.”

He said the meetings focused on the humanitarian fallout after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered El Fasher, sparking mass displacement and reports of killings, assaults, and sexual violence.

Salem said the talks focused on conditions for displaced people in North Darfur’s Ed Dabba and Tawila, and for civilians under siege in West Kordofan’s Babanousa and South Kordofan’s Kadugli and Dilling.

He expressed concern over foreign fighters allegedly recruited by the RSF and urged international action under humanitarian law. The government plans to continue efforts to remove “militias and mercenaries,” calling ongoing attacks a “direct invasion of killing and looting.”

El Burhan: ‘Cooperation and Sovereignty’

During his meeting with Fletcher, Head of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the SAF, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, reiterated Sudan’s willingness to cooperate with the UN and its agencies, particularly on humanitarian issues.

El Burhan stressed that UN operations must respect Sudanese sovereignty and national interests. He cited atrocities in El Fasher allegedly committed by the RSF, which he called the “Al Dagalo militia.”

Fletcher warned that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan “poses grave risks” and cited a recent UN Security Council session in which he expressed shock at civilian abuses in El Fasher.

He said the UN remains committed to delivering life-saving assistance, including food and medicine, to millions of displaced people and refugees. Fletcher described his discussions with El Burhan as “constructive” and said the organisation is ready to work with partners to reach affected populations.

Carlos Cão, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, also met El Burhan, reaffirming WFP’s long-standing partnership with Sudan.

Cão said the agency delivers aid to around five million people per month, including recently accessed areas such as Kadugli.

He added that WFP is working to reach hard-to-access areas and to support small and medium scale farmers, including in Khartoum, where approximately one million people continue to receive assistance each month.