The special envoy of Sudan’s army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has met South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to discuss ways to end the war in Khartoum.
President Kiir was chosen by the regional bloc, Igad, to spearhead mediation efforts to end the fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
But the decision of the warring parties to attend ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia has fuelled speculation that the regional mediation effort has been ignored.
At a press conference in South Sudan’s capital Juba, Dafalla al-Haj Ali tried to address the concern, saying he wanted to say “high and loud” that Igad was not being side-lined.
“We have full confidence in President Salva Kiir,” he added.
Mr Kiir stressed the importance of the conflict ending, and said that no country should take advantage of it to weaken Sudan.