Since April 2023, the Sudanese government and army have been battling the Rapid Support Forces militia, which has threatened to fragment the country. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 11 million people, creating what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

"We have been very actively engaged... with the African Union, with the Arab League, with the Quad and with other key actors, in order to put effective pressure for an immediate ceasefire," Guterres said. "We must look first of all to create the conditions to put pressure on the two parties of the conflict."

He also stressed the need to tackle foreign actors "supporting and arming" both sides — "some in the African continent and some outside."

Earlier in the week, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem spoke to the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, saying the national army was close to regaining full territorial control and calling on the United Nations to pressure the financiers of the RSF, which is widely accused of committing systemic atrocities throughout the war.

By Saturday, Guterres returned the focus to regional tensions, warning that renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia could spark a fresh conflict drawing in neighbouring Eritrea. "Ethiopia and Eritrea are two neighbours and two countries that have had a common past struggle," he said. "My strong hope is that the two countries will be able to reconcile and will be able to, with that, contribute to the peace and stability in the continent."

Eritrea, one of the world's most closed-off countries, gained independence in 1993 after decades of armed struggle against Ethiopia. The two nations later fought a 1998–2000 border war in which tens of thousands died. Their governments cooperated against rebels from Ethiopia's Tigray region during the 2020–2022 conflict but fell out over the peace accord, from which Eritrea was excluded.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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