His opponents committed massacres in his territory that were visible even from space. What makes the governor of Darfur tick – and why he is taking part in a Swiss peace dialogue.
April 3, 2026, 9:26 p.mApril 3, 2026, 9:26 p.m
“The atrocities continue,” says Mini Arko Minawi in the meeting room of an inconspicuous Geneva office building. To the left, behind the governor of the embattled Sudanese region of Darfur, hangs the flag of Sudan, where a civil war has been raging since April 2023; on the right the flag of the UN, which cannot stop the war.
Mini Arko Minawi (right) in Darfur.Image: www.imago-images.de
With the escalation in the Middle East, the war in Sudan has completely disappeared from the focus of world public opinion. According to the United Nations, violence continues to increase. And the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. No corner of the country is safe from attacks. Drone attacks and air strikes are increasingly shaping war, writes the UN in a recent report Situation report.
Minawi only welcomes an exclusive circle of media professionals at the Sudanese consulate, which is located between the SBB railway line and Lake Geneva. Hours earlier, he had canceled a public event at short notice because he was stuck in talks at the UN. The journalists are taken to the consulate in a black minibus, then taken to the third floor in a goods elevator. Until the governor has time, they wait on leather sofas with peanuts on the wooden table in front of them.
Participating in the Swiss dialogue from the start
Minawi is one of the key figures in this war. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are fighting against the Sudanese military, have spread across his territory in the west of the country. This is where the RSF carried out the El Fasher massacres, which shocked the world at the end of October 2025. The blood could even be seen on satellite images. A UN commission of inquiry sees “Signs of genocide”. Minawi also speaks of a genocide. He calls on the international community to condemn and prosecute him. That is his mission in Geneva this week.
However, the 57-year-old is not an independent voice. He leads the largest faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army – a former rebel group that now fights alongside the Sudanese army against the RSF. When the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates proposed a ceasefire last year, Minawi refused. The proposal plays into the hands of the RSF. At the same time, observers emphasize that his group is acting defensively in the war. They defend their territories without expanding themselves.
Members of the Mini Arko Minawi militia.Image: www.imago-images.de
The path to peace in Sudan does not lead past Minawi. Switzerland also knows this: Since the beginning of the war, its group has taken part in an informal dialogue that Switzerland initiated in 2023. In the so-called Nyon Process, it is trying to bring together the most important political and social forces in Sudan.
Conversations are becoming increasingly difficult
At first it was not communicated that such meetings were taking place – the process was so confidential. The RSF and the Sudanese army are not personally represented. There are numerous groups that support one of the two sides, as well as actors in between. In total, up to 20 groups are involved. While initially it was mainly low-ranking representatives who came, secretaries general are now also taking part.
Switzerland suggests points for discussion in each case. The aim is to build trust, create understanding and prepare a political process to end the war. So these are not peace negotiations, but rather a preliminary stage of them. Other players such as the African Union and the United Nations are leading the charge for a formal process.
The fifth and so far last round of the Nyon Process took place at the end of October. The fact that the groups flew to Switzerland despite the RSF massacres in El Fascher is seen as a positive sign. At the same time, the talks are becoming increasingly difficult – also because the RSF declared its own government last summer and is threatening to split the country.
According to the Sudan Tribune newspaper, one group recently announced its withdrawal from the process. This is due to tensions over the question of the extent to which Islamist forces should be involved.
20 years ago, Mini Arko Minawi, then a rebel leader, met with US President George W. Bush after concluding a peace agreement in Sudan.Image: IMAGO / UPI Photo
Between kindness and toughness
Minawi’s group, on the other hand, is preparing for a possible meeting in early summer. “Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,” says the Darfur governor about the benefits of the Nyon process. This is just one of many initiatives. But: “Switzerland is an important country. I believe it can contribute to peace. This is in keeping with her story because she has never been involved in a war.”
After half an hour, Minawi’s followers interrupt the conversation. A photographer quickly takes pictures. “Should I look at you or the camera?” the governor asks with a laugh – only to sharply rebuke a journalist seconds later who wants to take another cell phone photo.
The impression remains of a man who can be jovial but also be uncompromising. Kindness and toughness are close together. Anyone who negotiates with him is likely to feel the effects on both sides. (aargauerzeitung.ch)