Norway has dismissed reports of a new US-backed humanitarian truce proposal for Sudan, describing them as a “misunderstanding” and warning that such confusion could undermine ongoing efforts to halt hostilities and deliver aid in the war-torn country.
Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, speaking in Khartoum on Thursday after meetings with Sovereign Council chairperson Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and other Sudanese officials, said there was no fresh initiative from Washington.
“Let me state unequivocally: there is no new proposal for a humanitarian truce. The only proposal remains the one tabled several weeks ago,” Kravik said.
“Suggestions to the contrary are without foundation.”
The Norwegian official said he had personally clarified the matter with US Senior Advisor Masad Boulos.
The clarification comes amid heightened speculation that the US had advanced a new truce document following weeks of diplomatic pressure to ease Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
The purported US proposal was widely circulated in regional media, raising expectations of renewed negotiations.
Kravik stressed that Norway continues to support the existing humanitarian truce framework, which aims to temporarily halt fighting to allow aid delivery.
“I … wish to stress that a truce is not synonymous with a ceasefire or a political agreement,” he said.
“Its purpose – especially in this context – is to bring hostilities to a temporary halt and to enable the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance.”
He noted that unfettered humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan remained critical.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023 when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, displacing millions and creating what the UN calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
The US, Norway and other international partners have pushed for a humanitarian truce as a first step toward a broader political process.
Kravik reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to Sudan, urging all parties to engage constructively on the existing proposal and warning that misinformation could derail fragile progress.
He welcomed the continued operation of the Adre border crossing, which has allowed aid to reach affected communities.
JN/APA