Washington is preparing to send the final draft of a proposed UN-backed mechanism to monitor a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan to the warring parties, according to Massad Boulos, special adviser to US President Donald Trump for Middle East affairs.
Speaking at a Sudan session during the Munich Security Conference, Boulos said work on the monitoring mechanism - coordinated with the United Nations - has been under way for weeks as a prelude to a broader political process.
He stressed that Trump is determined to “end the war in Sudan and stop the suffering of Sudanese facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
His remarks came during a panel alongside British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali-Radovan, following a brief exchange with Sudanese Prime Minister Kamel Idris, who moderated the session.
Idris said the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), arguing that it “no longer exists” as a legal entity.
He noted that the RSF had been established under Sudanese law and later dissolved, saying those currently fighting are “a mix of militias and foreign mercenaries from Colombia and other countries.”
Idris stressed that the Sudanese army is acting defensively, while its rivals are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat after the session, he stressed that the government is not categorically opposed to dialogue, saying it was willing to meet with the backers of the RSF rather than the fighters themselves.
Asked about the US-Saudi initiative referenced by Boulos, Idris said Sudan has its own peace proposal that complements earlier initiatives, including the US-Saudi effort. The plan, he remarked, focuses on protecting the state and ending unprecedented war crimes committed by rebel militias.
He said the Sudanese initiative does not include direct dialogue with militias and does not recognize them, describing them instead as mercenary groups.
Idris rejected the idea of a ceasefire lacking concrete measures, saying any truce must include relocating militias to designated camps, screening their fighters, and examining the possibility of reintegrating some into society.
Boulos, for his part, noted that his efforts are being carried out within an international “Quartet” comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. He stressed that he maintains equal distance from both sides and warned against all forms of external military support.
Alabali-Radovan called for international pressure to end the conflict, citing the scale of the humanitarian crisis, while Cooper stressed the need for accountability, specifically citing crimes committed in El Fasher, saying she is awaiting a UN report to ensure those responsible are held to account.
