19/05/2026
Please read and share:
Pope Leo XIV, Sudanese Prime Minister Emphasize “urgent need” for Ceasefire, Dialogue as War Crisis Deepens
By Silas Isenjia
Vatican, 11 May, 2026 (ACI Africa).
Pope Leo XIV and Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil El-Tayeb Idris Abdelhafiz on Monday, May 11, underscored the “urgent need” for a ceasefire and dialogue in Sudan as the country’s civil war continues to devastate millions of lives.
A statement from the Holy See Press Office says the Holy Father received the Sudanese Prime Minister in audience before the latter met the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, together with the Under-Secretary for Relations with States, Mons. Mihăiţă Blaj.
During the talks at the Vatican Secretariat of State, the statement indicates that the discussions focused on “the severe crisis that has been plaguing war-torn Sudan for the last three years.”
“In this regard, the urgent need to achieve a ceasefire, provide assistance to the population and initiate a sincere dialogue among all parties of the Sudanese nation, with the aim of ending the conflict and collectively establishing peace,” was underlined during the meeting.
The Holy See Press Office adds that “the importance of relations between the Holy See and Sudan was emphasized, as was the significant contribution of the local Church to the good of the country.”
The meeting comes amid mounting concern from Catholic and humanitarian organizations over the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan, where fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has continued since 15 April 2023.
In a May 1 report, the Head of Africa at the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Kayode Akintola, appealed for greater international solidarity with Sudanese civilians displaced by the conflict.
“Your donations are an act of steady love for our neighbours, a way of saying: we will not abandon you; we will stand with you until peace is restored,” Mr. Akintola said.
Describing the conditions displaced families face, he said, “Mothers carry children on their backs, young women and men search desperately for water where wells have long run dry.”
He compared ongoing humanitarian support to the Gospel account of the Good Samaritan, saying, “That is the kind of faithful solidarity Sudan needs today.”
Mr. Akintola said an estimated 9 to 9.3 million people have been displaced inside Sudan, while neighboring countries, including Egypt and South Sudan, are hosting about 4.3 million refugees.
Recent international reports have also pointed to escalating concerns over civilian protection and humanitarian access.
Reports on April 28 indicated that the United Nations had imposed sanctions on individuals linked to the RSF over allegations of recruiting foreign fighters.
On the same day, UNICEF warned that children in Darfur are “at breaking point” because of hunger, violence, and displacement as fighting between SAF and RSF persists.
Meanwhile, reports from El Fasher in North Darfur on April 27 alleged that hundreds of civilians, including women, children, and medical personnel, were being detained by RSF forces under harsh conditions.
Amid the worsening crisis, Mr. Akintola of CAFOD acknowledged that humanitarian assistance continues to sustain affected communities and support local responders providing essential services inside Sudan.
He also called for stronger international action, including increased support for civilians affected by the war and urgent intervention from the United Kingdom government.
Pope Leo XIV and Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil El-Tayeb Idris Abdelhafiz on Monday, May 11, underscored the “urgent need” for a ceasefire and dialogue in Sudan as the country’s civil war continues to devastate millions of lives.
