U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who serve as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, together with Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), issued a statement addressing the violence in Sudan.
“We are horrified by the ongoing civil war in Sudan, and the genocide in Darfur perpetuated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias. The RSF’s long-predicted ethnically targeted assault on the civilian population of El-Fasher makes clear that the United States must consider the designation of the RSF as a potential Foreign Terrorist Organization or Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization, while establishing clear authorizations and mechanisms for the continued delivery of humanitarian aid,” said the senators.
They also addressed broader concerns about both main parties to Sudan's conflict: “Now in its third year, Sudan’s civil war has devastated the country, shattered Sudanese society, and destabilized the region. Both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed atrocities against civilians and pursued a zero-sum war at any cost. Foreign backers of the RSF and SAF–including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia, Iran, China and governments in the immediate region–have fueled and profited from the conflict and legitimized the monsters destroying Sudan,” according to their joint statement.
The senators warned that instability in Sudan could impact U.S. interests: “This war poses grave risk to the United States. Sudan’s location on the Red Sea is vital for global trade and energy flows. The country’s history as a haven for terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, its facilitation of vast illicit flow of arms and gold, and the movement of fighters and civilians across its borders threaten U.S. national security and economic stability. Achieving a sustainable ceasefire, ensuring unhindered humanitarian access, and securing safe corridors for civilians across Sudan is paramount. The warring parties and their foreign backers must work with the United States and its partners to end this catastrophic war immediately.”
On diplomatic efforts to address these issues, they added: “The U.S.-led ‘Quad’ diplomacy (with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) is an important step that requires all parties to engage in good faith negotiations. Ensuring meaningful participation by Sudanese civilians will strengthen future efforts and give legitimacy to any lasting peace.”
Sudan's civil war began on April 15, 2023. Since then it has become one of today’s most severe but underreported humanitarian crises. The Rapid Support Forces are led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”), who previously commanded Janjaweed militias during Darfur's earlier conflict starting in 2003; they now stand accused of carrying out genocide against non-Arab communities along with other mass atrocities targeting perceived opponents. Meanwhile, government forces—the SAF—and allied militias have also been implicated in attacks against civilians through starvation tactics, chemical weapons use, among other alleged abuses contributing to regional instability.
