WASHINGTON: The US is fully committed to ending the conflict in Sudan, working closely with regional and international partners — including Saudi Arabia — to bring about a cessation of hostilities and pave the way for a civilian-led government, an official said on Friday.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mignon Houston, the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said Washington’s priority in Sudan was to “stop the fighting.”
She said that the new administration of President Donald Trump has remained deeply engaged in Sudan and has not taken sides in the conflict, instead focusing on supporting the Sudanese people’s aspirations for a democratic and stable future.
“We know the situation in Sudan is catastrophic. It’s the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. What we’re seeing in Sudan is deplorable, and it’s important for observers and the world to know that the US remains very engaged in this issue,” Houston said.
The US is working through multiple diplomatic channels, engaging with the African Union, the UN, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Saudi Arabia, and other key regional actors, Houston told the newspaper.
“Our diplomatic efforts include engaging with these organizations and governments to push for a cessation of hostilities because we know this is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sudan, create a unified Sudan, and give the Sudanese people the future they deserve,” she added.
Houston made it clear that Washington expected all foreign parties to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis, warning against engaging in negative interference.
“We have been very explicit about the need for the intervention of partners and other countries in the crisis to be constructive and lead to a cessation of hostilities. Otherwise, these countries will be complicit in prolonging the conflict, complicit in creating more suffering for the Sudanese people, and complicit in creating more instability — this will not lead to peace,” she said.
The US has also been applying diplomatic pressure through economic measures, with 31 sanctions currently imposed on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Houston described these as a crucial tool in pushing both sides toward the negotiating table and an eventual ceasefire.
Beyond efforts through diplomatic channels, Houston highlighted the need for much-needed humanitarian assistance, revealing that Washington was actively working with international partners to support Sudanese civilians and refugees in neighboring countries.
“The US administration is also working on the humanitarian front, with significant work being done with implementing partners to support the vital needs of people in Sudan, as well as refugees in neighboring countries, and to support their efforts to accept refugees,” she said.
Houston said that during the first two weeks of March alone, 1.2 million people facing the risk of famine received life-saving humanitarian aid.
However, she added that no meaningful economic recovery or investment into Sudan could take place until the violence was stopped.
“At this time, we will focus on the Sudanese people and ending the fighting. Both parties are responsible for the destruction in Sudan and for regional instability. Therefore, our focus remains on bringing the parties to the negotiating table to create the conditions for humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it, above all else.”
Houston made it clear that Washington held both warring factions accountable for the devastation in Sudan.
“We have been very clear in this position that both sides have engaged in harmful actions that have destabilized the country and created a state of general instability,” she said.
“We have called on both sides to work together to create a political process that will lead to the establishment of a civilian-led government.”
She also underscored the role of Washington’s regional partners in mediating the crisis, urging them to prioritize the needs of the Sudanese people above political interests.
“What is more important than anything else is focusing on the needs of the Sudanese people; their needs right now should come first,” she said.
Houston also said that under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department continues to work with humanitarian organizations and is calling on donor nations to increase their support.
“The department also continues to call on regional actors and international governments to do more, and on donor countries to do more, because what we are seeing in Sudan and South Sudan demonstrates the importance of a concerted global effort to resolve the crisis.”
