• Geneva: The sixth consultative meeting to coordinate peace initiatives in Sudan discussed de-escalation, confidence-building and a Sudanese-led political process, with the participation of representatives of 22 countries and the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, IGAD and the League of Arab States, and the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy Pekka Haavisto stressed a "firm commitment to ending the war and alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people and supporting their right to a future of peace, security and dignity in a unified Sudan". (Source: UN News) • Saudi Arabia in Geneva: Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khereiji renewed at the consultative meeting the Kingdom's position supporting a unified and sovereign Sudan, based on the legitimate state institutions and the internationally recognized government. (Source: Saudi Press Agency (SPA)) • New York: Minister Plenipotentiary Faisal Abdel Azim Salem renewed Sudan's categorical rejection of accusations by the United States delegation and other delegations of using chemical weapons, affirming Sudan's commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and considering that Washington's refusal to send a technical team for a joint investigation or to present evidence to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons aims to exert political pressure. (Source: Sudan News Agency (SUNA), 21 October 2026) • COMESA: The Ministerial Council in Harare approved recommendations affirming respect for Sudan's sovereignty, the unity of its territory and the independence of its national institutions, and the categorical rejection of external interventions and military and financial supplies to militias, and supporting the return of the permanent headquarters of the COMESA Court of Justice to Khartoum, and Foreign Minister Mohiuddin Salem called for a unified African mechanism to confront militias and terrorist groups and invited COMESA ministers to visit Khartoum. (Source: COMESA Council of Ministers) • Prime Minister Kamil Idris was received by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and handed him a written letter from Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan concerning the development of cooperation and coordination between the two countries, then headed to Zimbabwe to participate in the twenty-fifth summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government. (Source: Nabd Sudan and Atheer News) • The diaspora in Europe: Sudanese have become the fifth nationality in terms of asylum applications in the European Union, with more than 30,000 requests for international protection - 31,000 in 17 months - after having been in twelfth place, and France and Greece together receive three-quarters of these requests. (Source: Muhajir and Atheer News citing European data) • Egypt: The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt, Christine Beshay, said the number of registered refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt stands at 1.09 million, including 852,000 Sudanese and 92,000 Syrians, affirming UNHCR's support for the transfer of management of the asylum file to the Egyptian government while protection continues, and warning of a large funding gap. (Source: UNHCR in Egypt to Sada El-Balad newspaper) • Abyei and South Sudan: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the drone attacks on 19 October near Amiet market and Todash, which killed civilians including women and children, and called for accountability and for preserving Abyei's demilitarised status, while the Government of South Sudan summoned Sudan's ambassador in Juba to protest officially, and UNISFA deployed medical and firefighting teams and rapid reaction forces to evacuate the wounded and contain the fires while verification of the missing and the victims continues. (Source: United Nations via Catholic Radio Network for South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains) • UNESCO: The organisation's representative in Sudan, Junaid Sorosh, revealed at an international forum at the International University of Africa in Khartoum a proposed recovery plan for the science, technology and innovation sector costing $1.5 billion over five years to rebuild infrastructure and support researchers, noting that the war has damaged 124 educational and scientific institutions. (Source: UNESCO via SUNA) • The Transitional Sovereignty Council mourned Fatima Al-Zahra Al-Balla Hamza, wife of former President Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab, who died in the Qatari capital Doha, and offered its condolences to her family and relatives. (Source: Media of the Transitional Sovereignty Council)
— Editorial Team