KHARTOUM, Sudan/ISTANBUL 

The Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, received a message Wednesday from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the UN’s role in supporting efforts to establish peace in Sudan.

It was delivered during a meeting held in the eastern city of Port Sudan between Al-Burhan and UN Special Envoy Ramtane Lamamra in the presence of Sudan’s Acting Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, Idris Ismail, according to a statement issued by the Sovereignty Council.

In a press briefing, Ismail said Lamamra conveyed Guterres’ message, which concerned the role of the United Nations in Sudan during both war and peace.​​​​​​​

During the meeting, Al-Burhan reiterated “Sudan’s confidence in the significant role played by the United Nations in addressing the country’s issues,” according to the statement.

He affirmed “support for this role in achieving peace and security,” expressing Sudan’s readiness to “facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to all those in need.”

Lamamra expressed hope that comprehensive peace and stability will be achieved in Sudan, enabling the mobilization of national capacities for reconstruction and the provision of a dignified life and essential services for citizens.

He reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to standing by Sudan for a better future, the statement added.

The statement did not mention the date of the envoy’s arrival in Sudan or the duration of his visit.

Since April 15, 2023, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling the Sudanese army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed so far and 15 million others displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.