International mediators and the United Nations launched a fresh push for peace in Sudan on Wednesday, three and a half years after fighting erupted in the country.
Representatives from 27 delegations gathered in Geneva for a coordination meeting aimed at advancing efforts to end the conflict.
"The war must end," said Pekka Haavisto, the UN secretary general's personal envoy for Sudan, at the opening of the sixth such meeting.
Haavisto made no mention of any progress achieved at previous meetings, instead calling for "practical ways forward," identifying "opportunities for coordinated action" and laying the "foundations for sustained cooperation."Warring parties absent
The United States, China, Germany, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the countries represented at the meeting.
However, neither of the warring parties - Sudan's government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - was taking part.
The UAE is widely believed to be supplying weapons to the RSF.
Sudan's army and the RSF have been fighting for control of the country and its economic resources since April 2023.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 14 million displaced by the conflict.
While vast sums are being spent on weapons, much of the population faces hunger and inadequate access to medical care. The UN has described the situation as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
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