As Sudan civil war rages, US special envoy begins regional tour to push for cease-fire

(LONDON) — The United States’ new special envoy for Sudan is to travel to Africa and the Middle East in a regional tour as the diplomatic push for a cease-fire in Sudan intensifies.

U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello is to travel to Kampala, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cairo, Djibouti, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, meeting key partners in a push for an end to the conflict in Sudan.

“Eager to hear directly from Sudanese civilians across the region, as well as African and regional leaders and multilateral partners, as we push for an immediate end to the civil war and humanitarian crisis,” Perriello wrote on X.

Last Friday, 14 out of 15 members of the United Nations Security Council backed a U.K. resolution calling for warring parties to “seek a sustainable resolution to the conflict through dialogue,” with the council expressing “grave concern” over the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

However, in a statement posted on telegram on Sunday on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) official channel, SAF Deputy Commander Yasser al-Atta ruled out a cease-fire, saying there will be no truce unless Rapid Support Forces (RSF) personnel leave the homes of civilians.

The official RSF spokesperson said in a media statement posted on X that the group “welcomes” the Security Council’s resolution, calling it a “crucial opportunity to initiate earnest discussions that could catalyse a political pathway.”

Sudan was plunged into chaos in April of 2023 after fighting erupted between the RSF and the SAF following weeks of tensions linked to a plans for a return to civilian rule.

As the conflict approaches its one-year anniversary in April, the U.N. estimates that at least 12,000 people have been killed, local groups saying the true toll is likely to be much higher.

The conflict has sparked the world’s “largest displacement crisis” with over eight million people — an estimated 15 percent of the Northeast African nation’s population — fleeing their homes. The U.N. warns “an unimaginable humanitarian crisis is unfolding”, the conflict threatening to trigger the “world’s largest hunger crisis.”

U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres has pleaded for the warring parties to observe a Ramadan cease-fire, saying “time is of the essence.”

“This cessation of hostilities must lead to a definitive silencing of the guns across the country and set out a firm path towards lasting peace for the Sudanese people,” he said.