UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher held on Tuesday what he called "constructive" talks with Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to ensure life-saving aid reaches all corners of the war-ravaged country.
Since April 2023, the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands and displaced millions, creating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
"I very much welcome the constructive conversations with President Burhan this afternoon, aimed at ensuring we can continue to operate everywhere across Sudan to deliver in a neutral, independent and impartial way for all those in such dire need," Fletcher said in a video released by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council.
The UN official's comments came after he met with Burhan in Port Sudan, the de facto capital.
Burhan says Sudan keen on cooperating with UN
During the meeting, Burhan asserted "Sudan's keenness on cooperating with the United Nations and its various agencies," according to the army-backed council.
Fletcher, who arrived in Sudan on Tuesday for a week-long mission, said on X he would work "to stop the atrocities, back peace efforts, uphold the UN charter, and push for our teams to get the access and funding they need to save lives across the battle lines."
The talks come two weeks after the RSF captured Al Fasher, the last army stronghold in western Darfur.
Burhan had previously vowed his forces would "take revenge" and fight "until this land is purified."
Truce breached
On Tuesday, Fletcher also met top Egyptian and Sudanese diplomats in Port Sudan, according to a statement from Cairo's foreign ministry.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for "strengthening the international response to the current crisis and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches the most affected groups."
Despite the RSF agreeing to a truce mediated by the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt last Thursday, attacks have continued.
On the day paramilitaries agreed to the truce, the Sudanese Doctors' Union said the RSF shelled a hospital in South Kordofan, killing five people, while explosions were heard in Khartoum the following day.
