This week, UN envoy meets with Sudanese liberation movement leader to discuss peace. UN trains South Sudanese officers in preventing violence against women. Peace talks stalling for Russia and Ukraine.
UN Envoy Meets with Sudanese Liberation Movement Leader to Discuss Peace
On March 23, UN envoy Pekka Haavisto met with the governor of Darfur region and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Arko Minawi to discuss paths to peace in the war-torn country.
Minawi said that any political initiative must aim to keep Sudan’s people and territory united, as well as the Sudanese government and armed forces. He maintained that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must be excluded from any further dialogue. The UAE admitted in November 2025 that it had made policy mistakes after its reputation was tarnished over its support for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to the Darfur government, Haavisto expressed worries about Sudan’s humanitarian situation, especially in Darfur. Both parties agreed to continue coordination between international partners, and to organize dialogue among Sudanese stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the UN is working with the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Arab league, and the European Union (EU) to manage Sudan’s situation, and build ties between different groups.
UN Trains South Sudanese Officers in Preventing Violence Against Women
In the midst of South Sudan’s growing conflict between the government and rebel forces, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is training 30 officers, including eight women, in preventing violence against women. This training involves a wide range of topics including conflict and gender-based sexual violence, child protection, HIV/AIDS awareness, community policing, referral pathways, and practical problem-solving.
This development comes after on March 17, UNICEF said around 100,000 South Sudanese people have fled to Ethiopia in Jonglei state.
Women in particular risk rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery, UNMISS reports. Officer Ayen Mayen said that women police officers often face threats to their lives.
“When a policewoman investigates, her life is often at risk. Stronger responses and closer collaboration are what we need to make Jonglei safer, where survivors are protected, and perpetrators face justice,” Mayen said.
Commander of the UNMISS UN Police team in Bor Mwewa Mervyn Musonda noted that two essential components of an effective response were protecting confidentiality, as well as “rejecting all forms of victim-blaming.”
Peace Talks Stalling for Russia and Ukraine
Peace talks are stalling for Russia and Ukraine. A Ukrainian delegation returned from two days of talks in Miami over what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as “the key points, opportunities and challenges.” US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on March 22 that the talks were “constructive,” the talks did little to achieve peace.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told Reuters this week that US president Donald Trump is pressuring Ukraine to give up Donbas to Russia. Ukraine maintains that the most sensitive issues, including on its territory, can only be discussed in a direct meeting between Zelenskyy, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy said, “Meetings at the leadership level are needed to truly resolve these issues.”
Keywords: Sudan, South Sudan, Russia, Ukraine, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, ceasefire, women
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
