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Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held direct talks with Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amid an ongoing civil war in the country.

According to the State Department, in a phone conversation on Tuesday, Blinken emphasized the urgent need to end the war in Sudan. The readout mentioned that both leaders also discussed strategies to ensure unhindered humanitarian access across borders and conflict lines to mitigate the ongoing suffering of the Sudanese population. Secretary Blinken also pushed for resuming peace talks to protect civilians in the conflict-ridden region of al-Fashir in North Darfur. Recent violent incidents in al-Fashir have disrupted a local ceasefire, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

The civil war, which erupted in April 2023, pits the Sudanese army, led by Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. This war has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties.

In an effort to facilitate peace, Egypt announced it will host a conference next month. This gathering aims to unite Sudan’s civilian political factions with regional and international stakeholders to forge a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement. The Egyptian foreign ministry expressed hope that the conference will lead to a consensus among Sudan’s civilian groups on establishing sustainable peace and stability in the country.