Sudan calls Berlin conference interference in affairs

April 15, 2026

Summary

Sudan said Germany’s Berlin conference on the war interfered in its affairs as aid gaps widened and peace efforts remained stalled.

Why this matters

The dispute highlights how difficult it has been to build a peace process for Sudan’s war, even as hunger, displacement, and attacks on civilians continue. It also underscores the role outside governments may play in any future ceasefire or aid response.

Sudan’s government said Wednesday that Germany’s plan to host a conference on Sudan on April 15 was a “surprising and unacceptable” interference in its internal affairs because it was organized without consulting Khartoum. It also warned that engagement with paramilitary groups would undermine state sovereignty.

Germany said the Berlin conference was part of efforts to revive stalled peace talks and mobilize aid for Sudan, where war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called it “the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, which is not very often in the public eye.”

According to the United Nations, nearly 700 civilians have been killed in drone strikes since January as attacks escalated on both sides, especially in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state. The U.N. also said 11 million people have been displaced, about twice that number face hunger, and most Sudanese now live in poverty.

Humanitarian funding is at 16% of what is needed, said Luca Renda, the U.N. Development Programme’s representative in Sudan. The U.N. said famine was declared last year in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, with 20 additional areas at risk.

In Khartoum, some signs of recovery have emerged since the army regained control last year. The U.N. said about 1.7 million people have returned, markets have reopened, traffic has resumed in some areas, and national secondary school exams were held this week after nearly two years of widespread school closures.

But risks remain. Authorities are still clearing tens of thousands of unexploded bombs, and residents said the city will take years to recover.

Diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have so far failed. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey back the Sudanese army, while the United Arab Emirates has been accused of arming the Rapid Support Forces. All sides deny direct involvement.

German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said the Berlin conference would discuss how to “exert influence on the key actors.” African Union Commission Chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said in Berlin that he hoped for a ceasefire, but added, “we are not there yet.”

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Today, Airwallex is valued at $8 billion by investors and said it generates about $1.3 billion in annualized revenue, growing roughly 85% a year. The company said it serves more than 46,000 U.S. businesses and processes $100 billion in annual volume.

Airwallex said it holds nearly 90 regulatory licenses across about 50 markets, has direct connections to local payment networks in more than 120 countries, and can settle transactions in more than 90 currencies. Zhang said those licenses, including one in Japan that took seven years to obtain, allow Airwallex to hold, convert, and use funds within a market.

“Stripe and Square can process payments in Japan,” he said, “but when you actually process the payment, you need to immediately pay out to the merchant’s bank account. You can’t hold the funds.”

The new point-of-sale product links in-store and online payments, and offers unified reporting and integrations with back-office systems, according to the company. Airwallex said businesses operating in multiple countries will be able to use the same payments system and reconcile transactions in one place.

Adyen offers a similar cross-border payments model. Legacy providers, including Fiserv and the combined Global Payments and Worldpay, remain major players among traditional retailers.

Whether companies already using Stripe or Square will switch remains unclear. Airwallex said it is targeting businesses that want to reduce the number of payments vendors they use across countries.