Sudan urges UN to avoid legitimizing paramilitary rivals in aid push

September 21, 2026 (NEW YORK) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem pressed top United Nations officials on Monday over worsening humanitarian conditions in Darfur and Kordofan, while warning against any public engagement with rival paramilitary forces that could confer political legitimacy.

Salem led a Sudanese delegation in talks in New York with UN aid officials, including Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and heads of key agencies, Sudan’s foreign ministry said.

Minni Arko Minawi, governor of war-torn Darfur, also attended the meeting.

Darfur remains one of the hardest-hit regions in the protracted conflict, battered by prolonged displacement, state collapse, lack of jobs, and persistent drought.

Sudan reiterated that the Tina border crossing with Chad should serve as a safe humanitarian corridor.

However, the delegation warned that public UN engagement with the Rapid Support Forces risked validating parallel governing structures and undermining coordination with national authorities.

The RSF and allied groups have set up parallel administrations across areas they control, which encompass most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan.

UN officials stressed that operational contact with groups on the ground was intended strictly to facilitate neutral aid delivery, not to confer political recognition.

They underscored the need to expand humanitarian flights, secure supply routes, and bolster food production.

More than 5.1 million Sudanese have returned to their home areas, though many risk fresh displacement because of a lack of essential services.

Around 8.5 million people remain displaced internally, according to the International Organization for Migration.

In separate talks, Salem met the head of the UN Office for Project Services to discuss post-conflict reconstruction, requesting support for health, agriculture, and housing projects in areas deemed secure.