Switzerland and the United Nations will convene Sudan peace mediators in Geneva on Oct. 21 without either warring party, seeking to coordinate diplomatic efforts amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The U.N. expects 27 participating principals and about 80 people overall. Delegates will include representatives of Sudan’s neighbors and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), League of Arab States and U.N. will also take part.
Nayla Hajjar, special assistant to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, said the forum gives mediators a place to align their initiatives. The Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces will not attend. Sudanese parties will be briefed afterward, Hajjar said.
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. Switzerland says about 34 million people in Sudan now need humanitarian aid. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned Oct. 12 of growing famine risk in parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan, citing conflict, displacement, severe drought and inadequate humanitarian funding.
Before the consultation, U.N. agencies and humanitarian groups will brief delegates on the humanitarian situation and human rights, Switzerland said. Humanitarian access and respect for international humanitarian law are among the priorities for those discussions.
The consultation process began in June 2024 and has continued through five rounds while the war has persisted. After the fourth meeting, in June 2025, the EU said participants had discussed de-escalation, aid access and civilian and political dialogue.
Opening remarks and a photo opportunity are planned for the press before closed-door discussions. Hajjar said organizers hope the Oct. 21 meeting will produce a joint statement outlining further work. A news conference with the co-hosts is planned afterward.
