Sudanese military authorities are considering a US ceasefire proposal.

 Sudanese military authorities are considering a US ceasefire proposal.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Guterres calls for an end to the "nightmare of violence" in Sudan.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Tuesday for an immediate end to the violence in Sudan, warning of a deteriorating situation and urging both sides to negotiate.

"Put an end to this nightmare of violence now," Guterres said on the sidelines of the second World Summit for Social Development in Doha. "I call on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to work with my Personal Envoy to Sudan to reach a negotiated settlement... Come to the negotiating table."

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Security and Defense Council, chaired by Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is discussing on Tuesday the ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States to end the bloody conflict that has plagued Sudan for more than two years, according to a government source in Port Sudan.

The source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said, "The Security and Defense Council will hold a meeting today to discuss the American ceasefire proposal." The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the army since April 2023, are apparently preparing to launch an offensive in the Kordofan region (central Sudan) after capturing El Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur, just over a week ago.

US Special Envoy for Africa, Massoud Boulos, held a series of meetings in Cairo in recent days to finalize a humanitarian truce proposal that was presented in mid-September under the auspices of several mediators, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, according to various official statements issued in Cairo.

Among the most prominent meetings Boulos held were with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. During the talks, Abdel-Aty stressed "the importance of concerted efforts to reach a humanitarian truce and a ceasefire throughout Sudan, paving the way for the launch of a comprehensive political process in the country," according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

On Monday, Boulos Aboul Gheit met with the Arab League Secretary-General and provided him with "a detailed explanation of the recent efforts in Sudan to stop the war, deliver aid quickly, and initiate a Sudanese-Sudanese political process," according to a statement issued by the Arab League on Monday evening. 

The "Quartet," comprising the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, has been engaged for months in diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the war that has been raging in Sudan for over 30 months.