A timeline of diplomatic efforts on Sudan Conflict





On 15 April 2023, deadly fighting broke out in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan the defacto leader of Sudan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as ‘Hemedti’, who is Burhan's deputy in the military led transitional government. In the days following the eruption of hostilities, the fighting has expanded to many parts of Sudan.
The outbreak of this fighting and its escalation elicited widespread reaction from continental & international bodies including the African Union (AU), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).
This page is dedicated to tracking the regional and international efforts for securing cessation of hostilities and eventually restoring peace in Sudan.
The Chairperson of the AU Commission appealed to SAF and RSF to immediately stop:
The Executive Secretary of IGAD urged SAF and RSF to:
UN Secretary-General condemned the death and injuries of civilians, including death of three staff of WFP in North Darfur
SRSG Volker Perthes condemned the attack on UN staff and humanitarian assets in Darfur in North Darfur
SRSG Volker Perthes announced the agreement of the leadership of the two parties to the proposal by the SRSG Perthes and the Trilateral Mechanism for temporary humanitarian pause on 16 April
PSC held emergency session and adopted a communique, which:
IGAD convened its 40th extraordinary Summit virtually and adopted a communique that
UNSC President, Russian Federation, expressed deep concern over the military clash between SAF and RSF and urged the parties to immediately cease hostilities
Head of UNITAMS and SRSG Volker Perthes:
SRSG Volker Perthes expressed extreme disappointment over the failure of the two forces to fully honour the commitment they made for a temporary humanitarian pause in fighting
UN Security Council discussed the situation in Sudan ‘under any other business’
Trilateral Mechanism urged the leadership of the two forces to adhere the humanitarian pause they failed to upheld fully on 16 April to adhere to it on 17 April
US Secretary of State spoke to the leaders of both SAF and RSF and underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire
Trilateral Mechanism noted the commitment by the two forces to implement a ceasefire for 24 hours effective from 6:00 pm on 19 April.
The High Representative on behalf of the EU condemned the ongoing fighting and called all actors to:
The Chairperson of the AU Commission organized a special ministerial meeting with bilateral, regional, and international actors, urging the two parties:
The ministerial meeting also requested the Trilateral Mechanism in coordination with the League of Arab States, the EU, the Troika and bilateral actors, to immediately engage the leadership of the two forces for de-escalation
UN Secretary-General spoke to the reporters on Sudan, at the UN Security Council stakeout, appealing for a three-day ceasefire, marking the Eid al-Fitr celebrations
South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit held telephone conversation with SAF and RSF leaders and expressed readiness of the High-Level IGAD delegation to undertake a mission to Sudan at the earliest opportunity available
US Secretary of State brokered a three-day nationwide ceasefire between the two forces effective as of midnight 24 April
UN Security Council convened for an open briefing at the request of UK, the penholder on the file of Sudan
SRSG Volker Perthes expressed deep concern over reports of violence in El Geneina (West Darfur) that appeared to be taking inter-communal dimensions
The Chairperson of AU Commission appealed to the neighbouring states of Sudan and international community to speedily extend humanitarian support to civilians fleeing the conflict in Sudan
The Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad jointly welcomed the announcement by the two forces to extend the ceasefire for additional 72 hours and called for its full implementation
Ethiopian Prime Minister held phone conversation with the two leadership of SAF and RSF on the need to settle their differences amicably
The Trilateral Mechanism called on the leadership of SAF and RSF to agree another extension of the 72-hour ceasefire, which started on 24 April
Prof. El-Hacen Lebatt, AU Commission Chief of Staff and AU Spokesperson on the Sudan Peace Process, briefed the media on AU’s efforts to coordinate international and bilateral efforts to pressure all Sudanese parties towards a ceasefire, humanitarian action and political dialogue
South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit announced that the leaders of SAF and RSF agreed ‘in principle’ for a seven-day truce from 4 May to 11 May, as well as to name their representatives to peace talks
Chairperson of the AU for the year 2023, Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros, met with the Chairperson of the AU Commission in Addis Ababa to discuss the conflict in Sudan
President of the USA issued an executive order on imposing sanctions on certain persons destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of democratic transition
President Salva kiir
The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, reaffirmed the imperative of ceasefire in Sudan as Saudi Arabia/US facilitated talks began in Jeddah
The Trilateral Mechanism welcomed the Saudi-American initiative to facilitate the technical talks between the representatives of SAF and RSF in Jeddah
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US facilitated direct ‘pre-negotiation talks’ between the representatives of SAF and RSF in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Somali Federal Government ‘warmly welcomed’ the start of talks between SAF and RSF in Jeddah
The Executive Secretary of IGAD urged the SAF and RSF to immediately and unconditionally agree to a humanitarian ceasefire as the two parties started pre-negotiation talks in Jeddah
The South African government:
AU convened a meeting with humanitarian organizations based in Addis Ababa to discuss coordination of efforts regarding Sudan crisis and agreed to establish a Forum for regular coordination and briefing on its activities.
UN Security Council held closed consultations on Sudan, upon the request of UK, the penholder on the file, to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian and security situations in the country.
The Trilateral Mechanism welcomed the signing of a Declaration of Commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan by SAF and RSF