At an international conference in Berlin, more than £1bn (€1.15bn) was pledged for war-ravaged Sudan, surpassing the organizers' target of $1bn. The conference aimed to address the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with two-thirds of Sudan's population—34 million people—requiring assistance after three years of conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.

However, peace prospects remain distant, as ceasefire talks have shown scant progress, and neither warring party attended the conference. Sudan's army-aligned foreign ministry denounced delegates for not consulting it, accusing Western countries of a "colonial tutelage approach," highlighting ongoing diplomatic tensions.

German Deputy Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced the funding pledges, calling them a rare positive development amid shrinking global aid budgets. He emphasized that "credible allegations of the gravest international crimes" continue to emerge from the conflict, underscoring the severity of the situation.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, stating that "external interference and the flow of arms that fuel this war must finally end." Egypt is among states supporting Sudan's military, while evidence suggests the UAE is backing the RSF—a claim it denies, pointing to external involvement in the conflict.

On the sidelines, Donald Trump's senior adviser for African affairs, Massad Boulos, claimed the US is not taking sides in the war and that "our only concern is humanitarian." He added that the US is seeking a humanitarian truce to lead to a permanent ceasefire, though diplomatic efforts by the so-called Quad (US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE) have so far failed to achieve meaningful progress.

Source: www.theguardian.com