By - Reporter
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GENEVA, 23 October 2026 Eritrea said outside powers are supplying Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with advanced weapons, weapon systems and mercenaries, and urged collective action against external interference in the conflict, according to a statement delivered by its chargé d’affaires in Geneva to UN-backed peace consultations.
The statement, published on Thursday by Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, did not name any country or group. It said such support was “deepening the crisis and advancing agendas that risk dividing and fragmenting the country”.
“Achieving the peace that lies at the heart of our discussions today will require us to address, in a frank yet constructive manner, the impact of external involvement in the conflict in Sudan,” the Eritrean delegation said.
The statement was delivered by Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, chargé d’affaires of Eritrea’s mission in Geneva. Eritrea was invited for the first time to the Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, held on 20 and 21 October and co-chaired by Switzerland and the UN’s personal envoy for Sudan, the statement and the UN said.
The co-chairs’ summary of the meeting urged foreign states and non-state actors to stop fuelling the war through mercenaries, military equipment, especially drones, and financing, without naming suppliers.
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Eritrea said the conflict, now in its fourth year, should not be seen as purely internal strife. It said any process should be Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led and should build on the 2023 Jeddah Declaration and Jeddah Agreement.
It also said international efforts should be coordinated with the Sudanese government’s peace initiative, which was submitted to the UN Security Council on 22 December 2025, and that the Sovereign Council must be recognised as the sole state authority in Sudan during the transitional phase.
Eritrea said temporary ceasefires and partial measures might provide only limited respite and risked prolonging the crisis. It said it regretted the Sudanese government’s absence from the consultations.
The co-chairs’ summary did not list the Sudanese government among the participants. It said participants rejected parallel governments or structures, called for immediate de-escalation, and said there was no military solution. It said a seventh meeting is planned.