US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt unveil roadmap for truce, permanent ceasefire in Sudan

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt on Friday urged a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, to be followed by a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month roadmap toward civilian-led governance.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four countries said Sudan’s sovereignty and unity are “essential for peace and stability,” stressing that there is no military solution to the conflict, which they said has created “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis” and poses “grave risks to regional peace and security.”

The ministers called on Sudan’s warring parties — the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — to enable “rapid, safe, and unhindered” humanitarian access across the country, protect civilians under international law, and refrain from indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure.

They also warned that “external military support to the conflict parties… serves to intensify and prolong the conflict,” pledging continued engagement with African, Arab, and international partners to “end the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

The RSF and the army have been locked in a brutal power struggle since April 2023, resulting in thousands of deaths and pushing Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to UN and local figures. However, US-based researchers estimate the actual death toll to be as high as 130,000.