Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for African affairs, has rejected accusations that Washington’s latest Sudan peace proposal is “tilted” in favour of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stressing that such claims are “baseless.” Rising tensions between the Sudanese army and external mediators in recent days have further derailed peace efforts in the civil war, now in its third year.

Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Sunday that the latest ceasefire proposal was unacceptable, criticising any plan involving the United Arab Emirates as “one-sided” and excluding the military. He accused Boulos of attempting to “impose conditions” and warned the envoy risked becoming an obstacle to peace. The UAE has denied supplying the RSF with weapons or foreign mercenaries, and Boulos dismissed the army’s allegations as unfounded.

The “Quad” — comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE — proposed a three-month humanitarian ceasefire in September, to be followed by a permanent truce and a transition to civilian rule. However, the Sudanese army rejected foreign involvement. UN experts have said allegations that the UAE is providing military support to the RSF are credible, though the UAE has repeatedly denied them.

Meanwhile, the RSF this week announced a unilateral three-month ceasefire, saying it was in response to Trump’s efforts to end the war. The army, however, accused the RSF of subsequently attacking the town of Babanusa in West Kordofan state, indicating the ceasefire has not been upheld. Earlier this month, the capital Khartoum, under army control, was also hit by drone strikes.

Since fighting erupted in April 2023, both sides have been accused of war crimes. After the RSF seized el-Fasher, the last major town in the Darfur region, the group was accused of carrying out mass killings, ethnic cleansing and sexual violence. The RSF has denied the allegations, though its leader has announced an investigation.

The conflict has displaced around 12 million people and has been described by the UN as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. US officials previously estimated the death toll could be as high as 150,000, though no comprehensive count exists.

The selection process for the next United Nations Secretary-General officially began on November 25, as the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly issued a joint letter to all 193 member states inviting nominations. The new Secretary-General will take office on January 1, 2027, succeeding current Secretary-General António Guterres.

In the joint letter, the Security Council and the General Assembly President highlighted that no woman has ever served as Secretary-General in the UN’s 80-year history, urging member states to actively consider female candidates in their nominations. The letter also stated that the selection process must ensure regional diversity and representation within the organisation’s leadership.

Three candidates have so far publicly announced their bids, including two women — former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan — as well as Argentine diplomat and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi.

Under the procedure, the Security Council will conduct multiple rounds of “straw polls” by secret ballot, with members choosing to “encourage,” “discourage,” or express “no opinion” on each candidate. A candidate can only move forward with consensus if none of the five permanent members — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China — exercises its veto.

According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General holds administrative, diplomatic and advocacy responsibilities. The current Secretary-General oversees more than 30,000 civilian staff and approximately 60,000 peacekeeping personnel. The UN’s core budget is about US$3.7 billion, while the peacekeeping budget stands at roughly US$5.6 billion.