The United Nations and Switzerland resumed peace talks with representatives of nearly two dozen countries in Geneva to seek a ceasefire in Sudan, where drone attacks and prolonged fighting have worsened humanitarian crisis.

A statement on Wednesday noted that the talks were aimed to coordinate international efforts to end the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023.

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, urged delegates to explore practical measures to deescalate the conflict and build confidence towards a comprehensive ceasefire.

He stated, “Our first session, devoted to de-escalation, will offer an opportunity to explore practical ways forward.”

He urged participating countries to use their respective channels of engagement to build confidence and create conditions to end the conflict.

The conflict, now in its fourth year, began after tensions between the SAF and RSF, former allies who jointly seized power in a 2021 coup, escalated into full-scale fighting.

“The war in Sudan has become a drone war; it kills mostly civilians,” said Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary of Switzerland, who co-hosted the meeting with the UN. 

He added, “Famine-like conditions persist in Darfur, the Kordofan state and elsewhere in the country; it is the war that drives this hunger.” 

He further said that the Geneva Conventions “are very clear: the protection of civilians and humanitarian access must not wait for a ceasefire and a political solution.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said nearly 34 million people in Sudan needed humanitarian assistance

He also cited UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) alerts that eight million Sudanese children were out of school today. 

“This is not only a violation to the right of education but an immense risk factor for a future stable Sudan. Conflict-related sexual violence has re-emerged as a tactic to terrorise and humiliate the civilian population, often targeted along ethnicity or perceived affiliations,” he noted. 

Also, Mr Haavisto added that the process should be based on inclusive and credible dialogue, with international partners supporting Sudanese people in shaping their country’s future.

“Delegates are expected to consider a Sudanese-led “transitional political phase that reflects the aspirations” of the country’s people, by means of “an inclusive and credible dialogue.

“Our role is to support the Sudanese in shaping their country’s shared future, with due regard for the diversity of their voices and experiences”, he said. 

Previous meetings have been held in Cairo, Djibouti, Nouakchott and Brussels.

Neither the Sudanese government nor the RSF was represented at the Geneva meeting, convened to help mediators coordinate their peace efforts.

Mr Haavisto was also expected to engage with representatives of the Quad mechanism, comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.