US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington is pushing for a humanitarian truce in Sudan during the New Year holidays.
Since April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in fierce battles that devastated the country and caused one of the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled as both warring parties have rejected several peace proposals.
Truce in Sudan
During a year-end press conference on Friday, Rubio said that the US is prioritizing a humanitarian truce in Sudan to allow humanitarian aid to flow into the war-torn country.
“Our goal, the immediate goal we have, is a cessation of hostilities, okay, a humanitarian truce going into the new year that allows humanitarian organizations to be able to deliver aid to the people in great distress,” he noted, describing the situation in Sudan as “horrifying” and “atrocious.”
“Our number one priority we’re focused on, 99 percent of our focus, is this humanitarian truce and achieving that as soon as possible, and we think that the new year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity for both sides to agree to that. And we’re really pushing very hard on that regard,” he added.
Meddling in Conflict
Asked about regional intervention in Sudan conflict, Rubio said that both warring sides have external supporters, with whom Washington has been engaged in discussions to stop their involvement.
“It’s not just countries that are providing them weaponry and equipment; it’s also countries that are providing transshipment, particularly to the RSF, to receive weapons – in some cases advanced weaponry,” Rubio said.
“We’ve had the right and appropriate conversations with all sides of this conflict, because that is their leverage. Without their support, neither side can continue. So that’s why we need to engage, and that’s why we’ve engaged the parties involved in all of this,” he added.
Intensified Diplomatic Efforts
The top US diplomat also stated that Washington has held talks with regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, to use their leverage and bring the warring parties to the negotiation table, similar to what happened in Gaza.
Following a meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in November 2025, US President Donald Trump said he would personally intervene to stop the conflict in Sudan.
Most recently, the US Special Envoy for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, was on a trip to the region where he held discussions with senior Saudi, Egyptian and Emirati officials on advancing peace efforts in Sudan.
On Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received SAF Commander, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, in Riyadh. During their meeting, they discussed the latest developments in Sudan and efforts to achieve security and stability in the country.
Stalled Peace Talks
In September, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – collectively known as the Quad – proposed a roadmap for peace in Sudan, involving a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transition to civilian-led governance.
However, Al-Burhan rejected the proposal, slamming it as the “worst yet” for eliminating the SAF while keeping the RSF in their positions. He also criticized the presence of the UAE in the Quad group, as Abu Dhabi faces accusations of backing the RSF with weapons and mercenaries – a claim it has repeatedly denied.
On the other hand, the RSF declared a unilateral three-month humanitarian truce, although it did not commit to.
Egypt’s Red Lines
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Thursday reiterated support for Trump’s vision for peace in Sudan, as he received Al-Burhan in Cairo.
Moreover, Egypt set red lines in Sudan, including “maintaining the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, as well as protecting its resources and the abilities of the Sudanese people” and “preserving the institutions of the Sudanese state and preventing undermining these institutions.”
Egypt also reaffirmed its “full commitment to continue working within the framework of the Quad with the goal of reaching a humanitarian truce that results in a ceasefire.”
The war in Sudan has driven the country into effective partition. Currently, the SAF controls the center, north and east, while the RSF holds the entire Darfur region and parts of Kordofan in the south, with each side declaring a government.
