As the bloody war in Sudan escalates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia stressed the need for a ceasefire on Friday while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the deadly conflict.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke on the phone with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
A Foreign Ministry statement reaffirmed the importance of reaching a ceasefire in Sudan and “creating conditions for launching an inclusive political process that preserves Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and stability.”
Sudan has been locked in a deadly war between the army and the UAE-backed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.
The was has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organisation, although experts predict the real numbers to be much greater.
Last week, the RSF said it had agreed to join a humanitarian truce proposed by the Quad,.
In the context of Sudan, the “Quad” is an informal diplomatic group comprising of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. This group works to mediate the conflict between Sudan’s military factions by proposing peace initiatives.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
However, the Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, rejected any truce or peace agreement with the RSF until the group first lays down its weapons.
Last month, the RSF captured El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, amid reports of mass killings and atrocities against civilians.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed the UAE on the need to achieve a “humanitarian ceasefire” in Sudan during a call Friday with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a State Department readout.
Rubio “emphasised the importance of achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan,” the State Department said in a statement.
Rubio and Al Nahyan also discussed efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan and affirmed the “strategic relationship” between the US and the UAE, the statement added.
Speaking to reporters after a G7 meeting in Canada earlier this week, Rubio said action was needed to halt weapons support to the RSF as the humanitarian situation for civilians in the country is deteriorating rapidly.
Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem welcomed Rubio’s remarks, urging the international community to act as the RSF besieges multiple cities in the country.
Abdelatty and bin Farhan also discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and underscored the importance of continued Egyptian-Saudi coordination to support efforts aimed at sustaining the ceasefire deal in the enclave.
The top diplomats emphasised the need to “push toward the full implementation of all provisions of the agreement to ensure a permanent ceasefire and alleviate the humanitarian suffering” of Palestinians in the enclave, according to the statement.
The ceasefire deal took effect 10 October under Trump’s phased peace plan.
Israel, however, has continued to violate the agreement and delay the start of its second phase, which includes security and administrative arrangements and Israeli withdrawals.
More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,700 injured in a deadly Israeli war in Gaza since October 2023.
