The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday said Pekka Haavisto, the newly appointed Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan, is continuing his visit to Sudan and is presently in Khartoum.

Stephane Dujarric, who was briefing the press in New York, said Haavisto has met with a range of Sudanese stakeholders, including the Chair of the Sovereign Council and Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, as well as civilian and political actors.

He will be heading to Port Sudan in the coming days to continue those discussions, including with civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic corps,” he said. 

In his meetings, Mr. Haavisto emphasized the need to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan and underscored our commitment to engaging with all relevant stakeholders to advance peace in the country.”

He urged dialogue and urgent de-escalation steps towards a comprehensive ceasefire and has stressed the need to explore confidence-building measures to create an environment for meaningful progress,” Dujarric added.

Relatedly, he said that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday revealed that the UN has ramped up health services in El Daein, the capital of east Darfur, following the deadly drone attack on the Teaching Hospital there last Friday. 

OCHA also said that attacks affecting civilians and essential infrastructure elsewhere in the country continue to be reported.