Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has renewed Moscow’s offer to mediate efforts aimed at launching a political process to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Lavrov said Russia is prepared, with the consent of the Sudanese government, to “facilitate the search for practical solutions,” calling on all parties to refrain from public condemnations and instead focus on advancing political dialogue.
He made the remarks during a meeting with a group of ambassadors convened to outline Russia’s positions on efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine, while also addressing a number of regional crises, including the situation in Sudan.
Lavrov stressed that Moscow is “ready to continue assisting in identifying practical steps to resolve Sudan’s internal crisis.”
Responding to a question on Sudan, he said Russia has consistently urged dialogue and negotiations between the warring parties, noting that several proposals had previously been put forward by countries seeking to help end the conflict.
Addressing the Sudanese representative attending the meeting, Lavrov said proposals had been presented to the Sudanese government to engage in dialogue with what it described as external actors. “Unfortunately, this effort did not succeed, as no genuine dialogue took place,” he said.
Despite this, Lavrov said specific proposals had been conveyed, adding that the priority now should be to move away from continued public blame and toward practical solutions.
“Russia is ready to facilitate this search for solutions and has the necessary capabilities,” he said, adding: “If your government agrees, we will seek to make use of this opportunity.”
Lavrov also urged Sudanese authorities to call on the Ukrainian government to halt the deployment of mercenaries to African countries. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly exchanged accusations over sending mercenaries to parts of Africa, while Western sources have alleged that Russia has provided weapons and expertise to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Russia has reiterated its offer of mediation on several occasions this year. In February, during talks with his Sudanese counterpart, Lavrov said Moscow was ready to cooperate with other external actors to help normalize the situation in Sudan, stressing that the resumption of bilateral cooperation depends entirely on security conditions.
The issue was also discussed on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in mid-April, where Russia’s Foreign Ministry said both sides underscored the need for an immediate halt to the fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF, and called for an inclusive national dialogue aimed at achieving lasting peace.
Separately, Russia’s embassy in Sudan said no Russian nationals were among the crew of a military Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft that crashed earlier this week near Port Sudan, killing all those on board.
