An international conference bringing together a number of Western and Gulf Arab countries has kicked off in Riyadh, aimed to see how Sudan could be helped to overcome its current crisis. The Friends of the Sudan, hosted by the Saudi government, includes the United States, the UK, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Sweden, the World Bank, IMF, the EU and the United Nations. The meeting discussed ways to enhance joint coordination to support all efforts that ensure a peaceful political transition in Sudan, in addition to supporting the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Mission to Support the Transitional Phase in the Republic of Sudan (UNITAMS). Volker Perthes, special representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) for Sudan, on Tuesday published on his official tweeter account that the “Friends of Sudan” group is now meeting in Riyadh though he himself could not take part because of being diagnosed with COVID. The one-day meeting is to see how to assist the initiative of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS) that seeks to help the country overcome its current political crisis. Perthes stressed: “International support and leverage is needed. Support for political process needs to go along with active support to stop violence.”