Sudan army chief, UN envoy discuss prisoner swap, civilian safeguards
September 6, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met United Nations envoy Pekka Haavisto on Sunday to discuss terms for a detainee exchange and measures to protect civilians caught in the country’s grinding civil war.
Haavisto, who arrived in Khartoum on Friday for his third mission since taking office in March 2026, met Burhan days after holding a call with Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo focused on curbing hostilities.
“I conveyed important messages regarding de-escalation and civilian protection to General Burhan,” Haavisto said, adding that the UN seeks to advance talks toward releasing prisoners of war and arbitrary civilian detainees in tandem with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The UN stepped up prisoner-swap diplomacy in June, an effort quickly endorsed by the military-backed government, which claims the paramilitary RSF is holding over 20,000 people in squalid detention camps across Darfur.
Haavisto also warned against the fragmentation of basic public services, highlighting deep international concern over parallel secondary school exams administered in June by the RSF-aligned “Founding Alliance” in areas outside army control. He urged unified testing backed by UNICEF to protect students’ accreditation.
The envoy reaffirmed that dialogue remains the only realistic route to an enduring ceasefire, urging cooperation with the Quintet diplomatic grouping to shape an inclusive political track.
During a separate meeting, Prime Minister Kamil Idris assured Haavisto of Sudan’s engagement with the UN, but cautioned that the government would reject any outside interference compromising national sovereignty.
Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, who heads the Justice and Equality Movement, aligned with the army, also met with the UN envoy to reject proposals to expand the Darfur arms embargo nationwide. Ibrahim argued the move would curb the military’s constitutional ability to defend the state, urging the UN instead to support a homegrown political dialogue.