Khartoum – The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have unveiled a joint proposal for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month roadmap towards civilian-led governance, Reuters reported.
The foreign ministers of the four countries, often referred to as the “Quad” on Sudan, issued a joint statement on Friday outlining their plans to end the devastating conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in 2023.
The statement said the transition must “meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people towards smoothly establishing an independent, civilian-led government with broad-based legitimacy and accountability.”
The war has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and triggered what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to the joint statement, more than a million Sudanese face famine-like conditions as fighting grinds on.
Al-Fashir in North Darfur has seen some of the most intense battles, forcing women and children to flee to displacement camps in Al Dabba and other towns. A Reuters photograph showed Sudanese women who escaped violence in al-Fashir sitting on the ground at a camp as conditions deteriorated.
“There is no viable military solution to the conflict, and the status quo creates unacceptable suffering and risks to peace and security,” the Quad nations said.
Regional rivalries and stalled diplomacy
The initiative comes after a planned July meeting of the four foreign ministers in Washington was postponed due to disagreements between Egypt and the UAE. Cairo has been a consistent backer of Sudan’s regular army, while the UAE has been accused by Sudan’s military of supporting the RSF — an allegation Abu Dhabi denies but which US lawmakers and analysts have described as credible.
The joint statement also emphasized that “Sudan’s future governance is for the Sudanese people to decide through an inclusive and transparent transition process, not controlled by any warring party.”
However, neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF issued an immediate response. The army currently holds large parts of eastern, northern, and central Sudan, while the RSF controls much of Darfur, where it has announced a parallel administration — raising fears of de facto partition.
US sanctions add pressure to the Sudan conflict
The Quad statement rejected any role for “violent extremist groups part of or evidently linked to the Muslim Brotherhood” in the transition process. Islamists who dominated Sudan for three decades until 2019 have resurged during the war, backing the army.
In a parallel move on Friday, the United States announced sanctions on Sudanese Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim — an Islamist figure — as well as the Baraa Ibn-Malik Brigade, a militia fighting alongside the army.
“These sanctions aim to limit Islamist influence within Sudan and curtail Iran’s regional activities, which have contributed to regional destabilization, conflict, and civilian suffering,” the US Treasury Department said.
