Pekka Haavisto, former Foreign Minister of Finland, has just been appointed as the personal envoy of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to Sudan. The announcement was delivered by UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, emphasising Haavisto’s four decades of experience in international affairs and crisis mediation. What awaits Haavisto in this new role?  Can he be the man to turn around the failed peace processes? Or is it a thankless task combined with a poisoned chalice?

There can be no doubting Haavisto’s credentials. He succeeds Algeria’s Ramtane Lamamra and he brings a specialised background in African diplomacy. He previously served as Finland’s Special Representative for Mediation and Crisis Management in Africa and held the position of the European Union’s Special Representative for Sudan. He has also served as a Senior Advisor on the Darfur Peace Process, meaning he has a deep understanding of the region and the complexities of the conflict.

However, Haavisto steps into a landscape where peace efforts are fragmented, external agendas compete, and General Abdel Fattah alBurhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their Islamist alliances structurally pull against compromise. 

Several partially competing or poorly coordinated peace initiatives........

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