UN Envoy and Darfur Rebel Leader Discuss Peace Efforts in Nairobi

NAIROBI, July 3, 2026 - United Nations Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, met with Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) leader Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nur in Nairobi on Thursday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and prospects for an inclusive political process to end Sudan's conflict. The meeting follows the rebel movement's decision not to endorse a political framework proposed by several armed groups and political coalitions in June. The SLM-AW has maintained that any future political process must clearly exclude former ruling party figures, Islamist groups, and actors opposed to civilian rule. During the talks, both sides examined possible pathways toward a comprehensive political transition capable of addressing the underlying causes of Sudan's prolonged instability. The rebel movement stressed that any future settlement should involve broad national participation while ensuring an inclusive civilian-led transition. The discussions also focused on the worsening humanitarian situation in Darfur, where millions of civilians continue to face displacement and limited access to essential services. Representatives of the movement highlighted the deteriorating conditions in conflict-affected areas, citing growing shortages of food, medicine, clean water, and shelter. Particular attention was given to the situation in Jebel Marra and parts of North Darfur, including Tawila locality, where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people remain in need of humanitarian assistance. The SLM-AW also called for unrestricted humanitarian access to conflict-affected regions, including Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile, warning that continued obstacles to aid delivery are worsening the humanitarian crisis. The movement urged regional and international partners to press Sudan's warring parties to agree to a humanitarian truce as a first step toward a lasting nationwide ceasefire. For his part, Haavisto reaffirmed ongoing international efforts to coordinate diplomatic initiatives and strengthen humanitarian support, particularly as the approaching rainy season threatens to further complicate aid operations and increase the vulnerability of displaced populations.