The African Union, which arranged Tuesday's conference together with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the EU, demands an immediate end to the fighting between Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that broke out in April 2023.
At the same time, the UK's Foreign Minister David Lammy notes that peace will take time and requires "patient diplomacy".
Attempt at Contact Group
The conference's goal was not to negotiate peace – neither representatives from Sudan's military nor RSF were invited – but to alleviate what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The UK, however, attempted to establish a contact group to hold talks on a ceasefire. However, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates refused to sign a joint communiqué, reports The Guardian.
Billions in Aid
Over the coming year, the UK promises to finance food deliveries to 650,000 people with 120 million pounds. The EU pledges 522 million euros in aid for 2025.
In total, the conference participants will provide 813 million pounds, equivalent to approximately 10.6 billion Swedish kronor, to Sudan and its neighboring countries during the year. In a final statement, the host countries said that "neighboring countries are directly affected by the conflict".
Lammy emphasized that Western countries have limited power to stop the fighting. More influence lies with regional powers such as Egypt, which has long-standing ties with Sudan's military, and the United Arab Emirates, which is accused of arming RSF.
Sudan's government has criticized the organizers for inviting the United Arab Emirates but not them.
