UN envoy, Darfur rebel leader hold talks in Nairobi over Sudan peace process
July 2, 2026 (NAIROBI) – The United Nations Secretary General’s personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, held talks in Nairobi on Thursday with Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nur, the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW), to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and prospects for a political process.
The meeting comes after the rebel movement refused to sign a political framework drafted by other armed groups and coalitions in June. The SLM-AW declined to endorse the formation of a preparatory committee for political dialogue, citing a failure to explicitly exclude the banned National Congress Party (NCP), the Islamic Movement, and their affiliates.
SLM-AW spokesperson Mohamed Abdel Rahman El Nayer said in a statement that the group’s delegation, led by Nur, discussed the parameters of an inclusive political transition with Haavisto in the Kenyan capital.
El Nayer said any comprehensive process must address the historical roots of Sudan’s instability and include all national stakeholders. However, he reiterated the movement’s stance that the NCP, Islamist factions, and any parties opposing a fully civilian government must be barred from participating.
Haavisto is currently conducting a regional tour to align various political perspectives under a five-party mechanism consisting of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Arab League.
The discussions also focused heavily on the humanitarian catastrophe affecting millions of displaced people within SLM-AW-controlled areas and broader Darfur, where camps have existed since the outbreak of conflict in 2003.
The humanitarian situation has drastically worsened for Sudanese refugees in neighbouring states due to acute shortages of food, medicine, clean water, and shelter, El Nayer added, warning that urgent international intervention is needed to avert a wider disaster.
The SLM-AW controls key areas in the Jebel Marra region, alongside parts of North Darfur’s Tawila locality, which currently hosts an estimated 707,000 internally displaced persons.
During the meeting, the movement’s delegation condemned the denial of humanitarian access to conflict zones, particularly in Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur, accusing warring parties of using aid as a weapon of war.
The SLM-AW urged regional and international actors to increase pressure on Sudan’s warring factions to establish a humanitarian truce as a precursor to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
According to the statement, Haavisto told the delegation he is working with international partners and aid organizations to address critical funding and supply shortfalls ahead of the fast-approaching rainy season.