KHARTOUM – Britain’s special envoy for Sudan, Richard Crowder, said ending the war and protecting civilians must be the top priority in Sudan, calling for an inclusive and transparent Sudanese-led political process.
Crowder made the remarks during a meeting with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum on Sept. 12, according to Sudan’s state news agency SUNA and the Sovereign Council media office.
The meeting was attended by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman Khalid.
Crowder said he was pleased to visit Sudan after what he described as the restoration of Khartoum, pointing to the systematic destruction of vital and service facilities during the war and the displacement of thousands of civilians to neighboring countries.
He said the war had worsened Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, describing it as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
Crowder also referred to the latest report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, saying it painted a bleak picture of violations of international humanitarian law and foreign interference in the crisis through the recruitment of foreign mercenaries.
He said the priority should be stopping the war, protecting lives and ending humanitarian suffering.
That, he said, could be achieved through a dialogue led and owned by Sudanese people, through a comprehensive and transparent political process that represents the views of Sudanese inside and outside the country.
Crowder welcomed initiatives by what he described as genuine stakeholders aimed at finding a solution to the Sudanese crisis.
He also praised guarantees presented by the Sudanese government regarding those who could take part in the dialogue, though the statements did not provide details on the nature of those guarantees or which parties would be covered.
Renewed Diplomatic Activity
The meeting comes amid intensified diplomatic activity in Khartoum in recent days, as international and regional actors seek to revive efforts to end the war and support a political settlement.
It followed a visit by Britain’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, who held talks in Sudan during a two-day visit focused on the war, humanitarian conditions and efforts to achieve peace.
The Quint Mechanism on Sudan also recently concluded a visit to Khartoum as part of efforts to engage Sudanese actors, support an end to the war and prepare conditions for a comprehensive political process.
The Quint brings together the United Nations, African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the League of Arab States.
The diplomatic moves have coincided with renewed debate over a proposed Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, which calls for a political process led by Sudanese forces and components rather than a settlement imposed from outside.
Background
Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after tensions over security arrangements and the integration of the RSF into the army.
The conflict has since spread across much of the country, causing mass displacement, severe hunger, widespread destruction of infrastructure and the collapse of basic services in several regions.
International mediation efforts have so far failed to secure a durable ceasefire, while Sudanese political and civil forces remain divided over the timing, guarantees, venue and participants of any dialogue process.
Crowder said Britain would take part in upcoming meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York, where he said Sudan’s crisis would receive attention from world leaders.
The timing of the latest visits and contacts points to growing international interest in direct engagement with Sudanese actors, as regional and international parties seek a path linking a ceasefire, civilian protection, humanitarian access and a Sudanese-owned political settlement.
