The European Union has issued a blunt and urgent appeal to Sudan’s warring parties, urging them to pursue dialogue and cease military operations immediately, warning that failure to do so risks plunging the country back into full-scale war.

Speaking at a high-level briefing in Brussels, EU foreign policy officials emphasized that Sudan is at a critical juncture. They pointed to the growing toll of civilian casualties, widespread displacement, and the destabilising risk of the conflict spilling across borders. The EU stressed that continued use of airstrikes and bombardment cannot be tolerated and that peace remains within reach—if only the parties choose it.

“Sudan must now definitively choose peace over bombs,” declared the EU representative, warning that the alternative was a collapse into another brutal war. Officials underscored the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of political detainees, and the resumption of UN-backed negotiations.

While offering to support Sudan’s transitional government with reconstruction aid, humanitarian relief, and future EU cooperation, Brussels made clear that such assistance is contingent on demonstrable steps toward lasting peace. Should military escalation continue, Sudan risks being cut off, with the EU prepared to impose broader sanctions and consider suspending development programmes.

In the briefing, EU diplomats also expressed concern about the growing influence of foreign militias and criminal networks within Sudan, which they said threaten regional security. They argued this only magnifies the urgency of containing the conflict swiftly.

Regional partners, including the African Union and IGAD, are being urged by the EU to coordinate their diplomatic efforts and reinforce UN-led peace initiatives. European ministers have stressed that the window for negotiation is closing fast.

As reality on the ground continues to deteriorate, the EU’s message is clear: Sudan now faces a defining choice embrace peace, or risk slipping irrevocably back into wide-scale violence with devastating consequences.