The Trump administration’s worldwide peace initiatives, spearheaded by the President and his team to resolve conflicts globally, are now intensifying their focus on Sudan. The nation has been embroiled in a 30-month war, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities and the displacement of approximately 14 million people from their homes.
A State Department spokesperson affirmed on Wednesday that “Ending wars is a priority for President Trump, and the United States remains focused on working with our partners and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis in Sudan.” The spokesperson added, “Engagement with all relevant stakeholders is essential to achieving this goal. Given the immediate urgency of de-escalating the violence, we will continue to engage with the belligerents to end the conflict.”
Discussions aimed at ending hostilities between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, commanded by Gen. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo Musa (known as Hemedti), and the Khartoum government’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, began during the Biden administration but failed to achieve significant progress. These talks have since gained renewed momentum under President Trump, with the U.S. establishing an international Quad in September alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Diplomatic activity has notably accelerated since the weekend. Massad Boulos, the White House’s senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs, fresh from mediating a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda’s 30-year conflict, held discussions with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Sunday.
On Monday, Boulos met with the Arab League. The League reported that Trump’s envoy had briefed them on U.S. efforts designed to “halt the war, expedite aid delivery, and initiate a political process.”
The Sudan Tribune later quoted Boulos on Monday, who stated, “Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details.”
Despite these developments, fighting between the two factions persists. On Tuesday, Sudan’s Defense Minister Hassan Kabroun, speaking to the national state television network following a government council meeting in Khartoum, expressed gratitude, saying, “We thank the Trump administration for its efforts and proposals to achieve peace.” However, he also emphasized: “Preparations for the Sudanese people’s battle are ongoing. Our preparations for war are a legitimate national right.”
Also on Tuesday, the White House Press Secretary commented to reporters, “The United States is actively engaged in efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the terrible conflict in Sudan. We remain committed to working with our international partners, including Quad members — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as others to lead a negotiated peace process that addresses both the immediate humanitarian crisis and the longer-term political challenges.”
The Press Secretary further noted speaking with officials that morning, acknowledging a recent increase in reporting on the issue. He confirmed the administration’s deep engagement and frequent communication with the aforementioned Arab partners, reiterating the desire for a peaceful end to the conflict, similar to many others. However, he concluded, “But it’s — the reality is — it’s a very complicated situation on the ground right now.”
Analysts suggest that the fall of the Sudanese city of El-Fasher to RSF fighters last week, granting them control of the Darfur region and effectively bisecting the country, may have spurred all parties into action. Boulos informed Al Jazeera that “The RSF’s full control of the Darfur region could have dangerous and worrying consequences in the future in terms of partition.”
On Tuesday, Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. Speaking during a conference in Qatar, Guterres characterized the war as “spiraling out of control.”
Mariam Wahba, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Digital that “The fall of El-Fasher to the RSF is a defining moment in Sudan’s brutal civil war.” Wahba elaborated: “It marks the militia’s full control of the Darfur region and leaves Sudan effectively split in two.”
The human toll is immense. On Monday, the U.N. reported that “over 21 million people across Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity — the largest such crisis in the world.” The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed an ongoing famine in the now-captured El-Fasher and in Kadugli, South Kordofan, where families are trapped and subsisting on leaves, animal feed, and grass.
The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released satellite imagery taken over El-Fasher in the past week, stating on Tuesday, “Evidence of body disposal activities include at least two earth disturbances consistent with mass graves at a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital; there is one new instance of removal of objects consistent with bodies. This activity appears consistent with RSF conducting cleanup of their alleged mass atrocities.”
Sources indicate that intensive negotiations, led by the U.S. team, are continuing. While specific details of the proposals remain undisclosed, it is understood that an agreement would commence with a three-month humanitarian truce to facilitate aid delivery, followed by a and a civilian-led transition.
Wahba of the FDD conveyed to Digital that “For Washington, the stakes in Sudan are rising by the day,” adding, “The more time the RSF has to cement its control over Darfur and push toward Khartoum again, the harder it will become to prevent the country’s permanent collapse. What happens next in Sudan will shape the balance of power across the Horn of Africa and signal to America’s adversaries whether the United States still has the will to confront instability before it spreads in this critical region of the world.”