Keypoints:
- Sudan’s army chief signals readiness to engage President Trump on peace
- Saudi Arabia re-emerges as a central diplomatic broker
- Fighting continues despite stalled international mediation
SUDAN’S military leadership has signalled a renewed willingness to work with US President Donald Trump in an effort to bring an end to the devastating conflict that has split the country for more than two years, according to a statement issued by the foreign ministry on Tuesday.
The announcement followed a visit by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairperson of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and head of the armed forces, to Riyadh at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The visit comes amid fresh diplomatic momentum after the Saudi leader recently presented President Trump with a proposed peace framework for Sudan during talks in Washington.
In its statement, Sudan’s foreign ministry said Burhan praised President Trump’s ‘determination to engage in efforts to achieve peace and end the war’ in Sudan, with the participation of Saudi Arabia. It described the Saudi role as essential to any credible pathway towards de-escalation.
The statement added that Burhan ‘affirmed Sudan’s keenness to work with President Trump, his secretary of state, and his envoy for peace in Sudan to achieve this unquestionably noble goal’, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Massad Boulos.
The language marks a notable softening of Khartoum’s tone after months of diplomatic paralysis and public mistrust between Sudan’s military leadership and international mediators.
Mediation at an impasse
Peace efforts led by the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been frozen for months, after Burhan rejected the most recent ceasefire framework proposed by Boulos. At the time, Sudan’s army chief accused the mediators of bias and of adopting positions favourable to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.
Burhan has repeatedly alleged that the UAE has armed and supported the RSF, claims that Abu Dhabi strongly denies. However, several independent investigations and international reports have suggested that weapons, fuel and logistical assistance have reached the paramilitary group from external sources.
The diplomatic deadlock has left Sudan without a clear negotiating track. No new dates have been announced for talks, either under the US-led mediation framework or a parallel United Nations-backed initiative.
War without respite
On the ground, the conflict continues unabated. While the RSF has said it supports international ceasefire proposals, heavy fighting persists, particularly in parts of Kordofan in southern Sudan, where clashes have intensified in recent weeks.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war between the national army, which controls much of the north and east, and the RSF, which dominates large areas of the west and parts of the south. The fighting erupted after a power struggle between former allies derailed Sudan’s fragile transition to civilian rule.
The human toll has been immense. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced, and entire communities cut off from food, healthcare and basic services. The United Nations has described Sudan’s situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, warning of widespread famine and a collapse of social infrastructure.
Whether President Trump’s direct engagement, backed by Saudi diplomacy, can break the deadlock remains uncertain. For now, Sudan’s latest overture suggests a recalibration in strategy, as the military leadership looks for a new path out of a war that has left the country shattered.
