Abu Dhabi, UAE – November 25, 2025 – US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos on Tuesday called on Sudan’s warring parties to immediately accept a proposed three-month humanitarian truce, describing it as a vital first step toward ending a conflict that has plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abu Dhabi with Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Boulos said: “We appeal to both sides to accept the three-month humanitarian truce.” He stressed that the initiative aims to open corridors for aid delivery and protect civilians in a war that has displaced nearly 12 million people and killed tens of thousands since April 2023.
The appeal follows a unilateral announcement on Monday by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), that his forces and allied groups would observe an immediate three-month humanitarian ceasefire and halt all hostile actions. In a recorded video, Dagalo presented the move as a response to international pressure and an expression of willingness to engage in political dialogue, while excluding Islamist factions.
The Sudanese government swiftly rejected the RSF declaration, labeling it a “blatant political maneuver” that contradicts the paramilitary’s continued atrocities on the ground. Government spokesman Khalid Al-Ayasir accused the RSF of using previous truces to smuggle weapons and strengthen positions, citing recent drone attacks on El Fasher in North Darfur and mass graves discovered in North Kordofan as evidence of bad faith.
Tensions had already flared on Sunday when General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and de facto leader, sharply criticized the latest peace proposal put forward by the international Quad (United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt). Burhan described the plan as the “worst yet,” claiming it effectively calls for the dissolution of the regular armed forces while allowing the RSF to retain control of occupied territories. “If the mediation continues in this direction, we will consider it non-neutral,” he warned in a speech to military officers.
Addressing accusations of bias leveled by Burhan, Massad Boulos firmly rejected any suggestion that Washington favors one side, insisting the United States is working impartially with both parties to end the war. He revealed that President Donald Trump regards achieving peace in Sudan as a personal priority and has been actively engaged on the issue following recent discussions with regional leaders.
Boulos also strongly condemned atrocities committed by both the RSF and the Sudanese army, including ethnic cleansing in Darfur, sexual violence, and obstruction of humanitarian aid. He called for those responsible to be held accountable under international law.
As of Tuesday evening, neither the RSF nor the Sudanese Armed Forces had issued formal responses to Boulos’ latest statements.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted on April 15, 2023, over disagreements on integrating the paramilitary into the regular forces and the timeline for returning to civilian rule following the 2021 military coup. What began as fighting in Khartoum has since spread across much of the country, fracturing Sudan along ethnic and regional lines.
The RSF has seized control of most of Darfur and parts of central Sudan, while the army retains the east, north, and the provisional capital of Port Sudan. The fall of El Fasher to the RSF in October 2025 after an 18-month siege triggered renewed international warnings of genocide against non-Arab communities.
The human cost continues to mount. Independent estimates suggest more than 150,000 people have died from direct violence, famine, and disease. Over 8.6 million are internally displaced, and nearly 4 million have fled abroad—the largest displacement crisis on earth. Famine has been officially declared in parts of North Darfur, with more than 700,000 children facing severe acute malnutrition. Cholera outbreaks, collapsing healthcare, and the destruction of agricultural heartlands have pushed half the population—over 30 million people—into acute food insecurity.
Multiple mediation efforts have collapsed. Previous ceasefires brokered in Jeddah in 2023 and subsequent talks under African Union and IGAD auspices were violated almost immediately. The Quad’s September 2025 roadmap, which envisioned a three-month truce leading to a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month transition to civilian governance, gained tentative RSF backing but was rejected by the army.
External involvement has further complicated the crisis. The UAE has faced persistent allegations—strongly denied by Abu Dhabi—of providing arms and funding to the RSF. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are seen as leaning toward the army, while Russia-linked networks have reportedly supplied the military. The United States, under the Trump administration, has stepped up diplomatic engagement, with Boulos’ regional shuttle underscoring Washington’s determination to break the deadlock.
Aid agencies warn that time is running out. Funding for Sudan’s humanitarian response stands at just 40 percent of requirements, and community kitchens feeding millions in displacement camps are expected to close within weeks. Winter conditions threaten to worsen an already catastrophic situation for millions living in the open.
Despite the latest diplomatic push, deep mistrust between the two sides—and the absence of credible monitoring and enforcement mechanisms—casts serious doubt on whether the proposed three-month humanitarian truce can take hold. For the people of Sudan, caught between rival armies and abandoned by a fractured international response, the prospect of peace remains agonizingly distant.
