The foreign minister said the country in northeast Africa had been “relegated to the periphery of international consciousness”.

“Has the war in Sudan and its detrimental impacts been forgotten and slipped from our collective memory?

“Why does the suffering of millions fail to command the urgent attention it so desperately needs?” he said when closing a conference, titled “Sudan – The Forgotten War”, here today.

To make matters worse, Sudan is currently facing one of the world’s worst hunger crises, with over 18 million people at risk due to lack of available and affordable food, he said.

Mohamad went on to say that the situation in Sudan demanded the attention of the global community.

And beyond providing humanitarian assistance to those affected, such as food, shelter and medical care, focus must also be given to foster sustainable peace and stability in Sudan, he said.

He said a concerted effort from all key stakeholders and international partners was required to restore peace and stability in Sudan.

In this context, Malaysia is of the view that dialogue and mediation were tools to address the ongoing conflict in a constructive manner, Mohamad said.

He said the involvement of a neutral third party was also important to facilitate a fair and balanced approach for all those involved.

The war between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army broke out in April last year after disputes over a transition to democracy and integration of the two forces.