Mediators from 22 states and five organisations met in Geneva on Wednesday for the sixth round of Sudan peace talks, but neither the army nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took part and no ceasefire was announced.
The co-chairs’ summary, published by the UN Department of Political and Peace Operations, says there is “no military solution to this war”. It urges the parties to commit to a ceasefire. No ceasefire has been agreed.
Pekka Haavisto, the UN personal envoy, and Swiss State Secretary Alexandre Fasel co-chaired the meeting at the Palais des Nations. A member of Haavisto’s team said the envoy’s office was in close coordination with the parties and would brief them after the meeting, Geneva Solutions reported.
Neither the army nor the RSF had publicly responded.
What the Sudan Geneva peace talks produced
The summary reaffirmed Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and rejected parallel governments. It called for immediate de-escalation and protection of civilians.
It urged foreign states and non-state actors to stop fuelling the war through mercenaries, military equipment, especially drones, and financing. It also welcomed efforts by the Quad, made up of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, toward a humanitarian truce.
Sudanese civilians must not continue to pay the price for the parties’ military calculations.
Co-chairs’ summary, UN DPPAThe document backs an inclusive, Sudanese-owned political process that includes women and youth, and notes the Khartoum-based National Dialogue Committee.
Who was at the table
The co-chairs’ summary of the Oct. 21 meeting lists 22 states: Central African Republic, Chad, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Kenya, Libya, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Switzerland, Türkiye, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The five organisations were the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States and the UN.
Haavisto planned to meet members of the Quad and of the Quintet, which groups the AU, IGAD, the UN, the EU and the League of Arab States, on the margins, UN News reported.
What the summary does and does not deliver
The table sets out what the co-chairs’ summary says on four points and where each stands, based on the UN text.
| Topic | What the summary says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ceasefire and truce | Welcomes Quad efforts toward a humanitarian truce and urges the parties to commit to a ceasefire | No ceasefire or truce announced |
| Next meeting | A seventh meeting is planned | No date or venue given |
| Technical task force | Continues its work in the interim | Ongoing |
| Political process | Backs an inclusive, Sudanese-owned process | No agreement announced |
mediators only
At this sixth meeting, neither of the two forces doing the fighting was in the room. The summary describes the meetings as a forum for sustained dialogue and coordination among international and regional partners, and Wednesday’s session fit that description: states and regional bodies aligning positions, with the army and the RSF to be briefed later.
The summary lists earlier meetings in Cairo, Djibouti, Nouakchott and Brussels, the most recent in Cairo on Jan. 14, 2026. Our sources do not say what each round produced.
Haavisto told reporters in New York in June: “Everybody wants to coordinate, and nobody wants to be coordinated.” He also warned of “forum shopping”, Geneva Solutions reported.
Why Kenya and IGAD matter
Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan and Eritrea were all on the participant list, and IGAD, the regional bloc, took part as an organisation.
The summary warned of spillover to neighbouring countries. UNHCR figures cited by Geneva Solutions put the number of forcibly displaced people from Sudan at 11.3 million, including 4.6 million in neighbouring countries.
Ethiopia and Eritrea, whose escalation we cover in our explainer on Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions, both attended. The summary names a seventh meeting and a technical task force as follow-up.
The humanitarian toll
Fasel said, “The war in Sudan has become a drone war; it kills mostly civilians,” UN News reported. He added that “the protection of civilians and humanitarian access must not wait for a ceasefire and a political solution.”
Fasel cited OCHA figures of almost 34 million people needing humanitarian support and UNICEF figures of 8 million Sudanese children out of school.
In the days before the talks, drone attacks in Abyei reportedly killed more than 150 people, according to Geneva Solutions and SABC News. Geneva Solutions attributed the figure to a BBC report; it has not been independently verified.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “We strongly condemn the series of drone attacks in Abyei”, SABC News reported.
What happens next
A seventh consultative meeting: the co-chairs’ summary gives no date or venue (UN DPPA). April 2027: Haavisto said, “As April 2027 approaches, we must do everything in our power to ensure that it marks a turning point towards peace” (SABC News). The war began in April 2023 (UN News). Whether the army and the RSF respond to the call to commit to a ceasefire (UN DPPA). Haavisto’s floated prisoner exchange and help for student exams, which he called “baby steps” (Arab News).
