International donors have pledged about €1.5 billion for Sudan at an meeting held in Berlin to mark three years of war in the country that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
"This nightmare must end," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the conferenc on Wednesday. "The anniversary is a tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise.
"The consequences are not confined to Sudan. They are destabilising the wider region," he underlined to the gathering via a video message.
The conference – organised by the African Union and the EU – brought together governments, aid agencies and civil society groups, and followed similar conferences hosted by London and Paris over the past two years.
It was hosted by the German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul who said his country would contribute €230 million in aid.
"Largely beyond the public eye, the world's greatest man-made humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan," he said.
Wadephul thanked donors for their pledges: "They help to alleviate the suffering of the people in Sudan, they help to save lives, and they show that this conflict has not been forgotten," he said
As well as rallying donors, the conference aimed to help revive faltering peace talks, although the two sides fighting the war, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been excluded.
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The Sudanese government on Wednesday called the conference plans a "surprising and unacceptable" interference in its internal affairs and warned that engaging with paramilitary groups would undermine state sovereignty.
For its part, the parallel government run by the RSF fighting Khartoum also rejected the conference, saying political elements close to the army were included among the participants.
More than 13 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict, according to the organisers of the Berlin gathering.
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Stalled diplomacy
Diplomatic efforts towards peace led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt – referred to collectively as the Quad – have so far failed.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey back the Sudanese army, while the UAE is accused of arming the RSF. All sides deny direct involvement.
Meanwhile, UN rights chief Volker Turk told the Berlin meeting that he was alarmed by the sharp increase in the use of drone warfare in recent months in the conflict.
Drone strikes caused three-quarters of documented civilian deaths in the first three months of this year, he added.
"We urge all our partners to step up their efforts to bring the conflict to an end," said a joint statement issued by the conference organisers.
(With newswires)
