The disastrous civil war in Sudan appears to be increasingly in the spotlight of Washington. The US would likely prefer to see the conflict end.
US President Donald Trump has sought to end several wars in the world during his first year in office. Although he has claimed at times to have ended around seven different conflicts, there are still more that cry out for peace.
Sudan is one of the worst of the current wars, in addition to the one between Russia and Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud this week.
“Secretary Rubio spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to welcome the outcomes of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s successful visit to Washington, which underscored the strength of the U.S.-Saudi partnership,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. “They discussed developments in Yemen and the urgent need to advance peace efforts in Sudan.”
The focus on Sudan is clear. They are talking about peace efforts to resolve the conflict.
Sudan war history and consequences
The war in Sudan began in April 2023 and was a result of a conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army. The country had peace for a few years.
In 2019, the dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown as president. He had been in charge since 1989 and unleashed numerous problems in Sudan.
Some people hoped that removing the Islamist regime that had persecuted people in Darfur would change Sudan.
South Sudan had seceded during his time in power. The RSF had been used by Sudan to massacre people in Darfur.
The army in Sudan is led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He styles himself as primarily a general and has support from Egypt and other countries.
The RSF is led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also known as “Hemedti.” He has regional ambitions to link Sudan with clans and tribes across the Sahel.
While some argue that the army in Sudan enjoys historic backing from the Muslim Brotherhood, others say the RSF is backed by Russia, the UAE, and others.
The overall details are never clear, and the conflict is also linked to global public-relations campaigns that use Sudan to tar other countries and players with involvement.
What is clear is that the war has been a disaster. Up until recently, the army was believed to control about 60% of the country. The RSF has made some gains, however, and recently took control of the city of El-Fasher.
According to some reports, tens of thousands of people have been massacred.
“More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” the BBC reported.
The US efforts to attain peace will require that regional countries sign on. The Trump administration will need Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other states to help.
“The US imposed sanctions on four people and four firms for their alleged involvement in a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military members who train soldiers to fight for the Sudanese paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces,” Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Arab News reported recently. This illustrates how the conflict now has global ties.
“The Rapid Support Forces, which has been at war with the Sudanese military since April 2023, has been accused of war crimes by Amnesty International, and the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, said this month that he fears ‘a new wave of atrocities’ in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting in the Kordofan region in central Sudan,” Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Arab News reported.
Sanctions targeted a “retired Colombian military officer and his wife, an employment agency manager named Mateo Andres Duque Botero, and a number of staffing agencies that have allegedly processed payroll for the Colombian fighters,” the report said.
US Department of the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said the RSF “brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” it added.
RSF now appears to have used Colombian recruits in the battle for El Fasher, the report said, adding that Kenya also wants to see the war end. Hurley has spoken to Trump about “efforts to resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan,” Arab News reported.