Sudan talks in Geneva: UN envoy seeks de-escalation as Switzerland calls the conflict a “drone war”

Nearly two dozen countries met in Geneva on 21 October to discuss a route to a ceasefire in Sudan and a return to inclusive civilian governance, according to the United Nations. Neither the Sudanese government nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took part, as the format is meant for mediators to coordinate their efforts.

De-escalation on the agenda

Pekka Haavisto, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, said the first session, devoted to de-escalation, would offer a chance to explore practical ways forward. He asked delegates to use their channels of engagement to build confidence and help create conditions for a comprehensive ceasefire, UN News reported.

Delegates were also expected to consider a Sudanese-led transitional political phase through what Haavisto described as an inclusive and credible dialogue. He said the role of outside actors was to support Sudanese in shaping their country’s future.

The Swiss State Secretary, Alexandre Fasel, whose country co-hosts the meeting with the UN, put the focus on civilians. “The war in Sudan has become a drone war; it kills mostly civilians,” he said, adding that famine-like conditions persist in Darfur, Kordofan and elsewhere. Fasel stressed that the Geneva Conventions require the protection of civilians and humanitarian access without waiting for a ceasefire or a political settlement.

Humanitarian figures

Fasel cited the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, as saying almost 34 million people in Sudan need humanitarian support, and UNICEF alerts that eight million Sudanese children are out of school. He also said conflict-related sexual violence has re-emerged as a tactic against the civilian population, often along ethnic lines or perceived affiliations.

Background

The conflict, now in its fourth year, began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, former allies who had jointly seized power in a 2021 coup, the UN says. The Geneva gathering is the latest of the Consultative Meetings on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, which have previously been held in Cairo, Djibouti, Nouakchott and Brussels.

On the margins of the meeting, Haavisto was also expected to engage with the “Quad” mechanism, which brings together the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and the “Quintet” of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the UN, the European Union and the League of Arab States. The talks followed a day of humanitarian-focused discussions in Geneva involving delegations, senior UN officials and non-governmental organisations including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Drone attacks on civilians in Sudan have featured in earlier Geopolitiki reporting, including UN condemns drone strikes across Sudan: market hit in Abyei, Khartoum targeted, 10 children among 19 reported dead over the weekend, and the famine warning in IPC warns of growing famine risk in Darfur and Kordofan as war and drought converge in Sudan.