Guterres demands immediate end to Sudan hostilities, SAF, RSF to negotiating table
November 24, 2025 (NEW YORK) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday issued a fresh, urgent appeal for peace in Sudan, demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities, an end to the flow of external weapons, and calling for the warring parties to return to the negotiating table.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his social media account, Guterres stressed the dire necessity of establishing peace and ensuring the safety of civilians caught in the country’s devastating conflict. “We need peace in Sudan,” the UN chief stated, outlining immediate demands to address the escalating humanitarian and security catastrophe.
Guterres’s key demands were focused on both internal steps and external factors driving the violence. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and stressed the crucial need for safe, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to reach all civilians in need. Furthermore, he explicitly demanded an immediate stop to the flow of external weapons, fighters into the country, a clear address of foreign interference prolonging the war.
Finally, the Secretary-General said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), must immediately “come to the negotiating table” to seek a political solution.
Escalating crisis
The renewed appeal comes amid deepening international concern over mass atrocities and grave human rights violations. The war has displaced millions and pushed the country into one of the worst food insecurity crises globally. The demand for safe, unimpeded aid underscores the massive challenges faced by relief organisations operating in a volatile and often blocked environment.
The Secretary-General’s explicit call to end the flow of weapons directly addresses international actors believed to be supporting the two rival forces, while placing the ultimate responsibility for halting the violence on the military leaders.