EU envoys hold first meetings in Khartoum with Sudan leaders since war began
June 15, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – European Union ambassadors held a series of meetings with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, his deputy, the prime minister, and other officials in Khartoum on Monday, marking their first visit to the capital since the conflict began.
Following the Sudanese army’s recapture of Khartoum in May 2025, authorities have worked to restore services and secure the city. The government, along with several embassies and United Nations agencies, has gradually relocated operations back to the capital after operating from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan.
Burhan briefed the EU diplomats at his office on security and humanitarian developments, the Sovereign Council said in a statement. During the meeting, Burhan detailed the conflict waged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the state and its institutions, as well as violations committed against civilians.
Burhan emphasized the need to halt external support flowing to the RSF from certain countries, stating that the political process should remain an exclusively domestic affair.
“The political process is a purely Sudanese matter that must take place inside Sudan and by the will of the Sudanese people,” Burhan said, adding that Sudan welcomes external support that respects national sovereignty and aids stability.
The EU is working as part of a five-party mechanism, which includes the African Union, the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Arab League, to bridge divisions among political factions and armed groups ahead of an inclusive national dialogue.
The mechanism facilitated meetings in the first week of June, where political coalitions and armed factions reached understandings on establishing a preparatory committee for the political process.
EU Ambassador to Sudan Wolfram Vetter said the meetings aimed to assess conditions on the ground four years after the war’s outbreak. He added that the EU is ready to engage with all Sudanese parties to find an urgent exit from the crisis and support a transition toward independent, civilian democratic rule.
Vetter reiterated the EU’s rejection of parallel governing bodies in Sudan and called for an end to the illicit flow of weapons and foreign mercenaries into the country.
“The external support prolongs the war and intensifies human suffering,” Vetter said in a series of social media posts, adding that the conflict directly undermines regional security.
Sudan has repeatedly accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying advanced military equipment, including drones, to the RSF via airlifts to Nyala airport and overland routes through Ethiopia, Libya, and Chad. Abu Dhabi denies the allegations despite reports from international investigators.
Vetter said the EU delegation urged Sudanese officials to push for a durable ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors, and immediately halt attacks on civilians and infrastructure.