The United States has urged coordinated international action to halt weapons supplies to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which Washington blames for the latest escalation in the country’s brutal conflict.
The call came as drone strikes on Thursday targeted the northern city of Merowe, home to one of Sudan’s largest dams and an area firmly under army control. The Sudanese military accused the RSF of carrying out the attack.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters as he departed the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada, said: “I believe something must be done to cut off the weapons and support that the Rapid Support Forces are receiving as they continue to make advances.” He added: “What is happening there is horrific.”
Rubio placed responsibility for the latest deterioration squarely on the RSF, which recently seized the strategic city of al-Fasher despite publicly agreeing to a US-backed ceasefire proposal.
The secretary added that the RSF relies heavily on external funding and support due to its lack of domestic weapons-manufacturing capabilities, noting that this backing comes from certain countries which “we know who they are and we're going to talk to them about it and make them understand that this is going to reflect poorly on them and poorly on the world if we can’t stop this.”
Meanwhile, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed Rubio’s remarks and urged that they mark the beginning of real accountability for the RSF and its supporters. The RSF, however, said Rubio’s comments were “misguided” and unhelpful to ceasefire efforts.
Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem told the state news agency SUNA that he hopes Rubio’s remarks “will be a genuine starting point for holding the RSF accountable, along with anyone who aided it, supplied it with weapons, allowed the use of their territory for arms and ‘mercenaries,’ or provided political support.”
He said designating the RSF a terrorist organization would help correct the international community’s understanding of the conflict.
RSF commander adviser Basha Tabeq called Rubio’s statement “an unhelpful position that obstructs humanitarian-truce efforts” and warned it could be interpreted by the army as a political victory fueling further escalation.
Drone Strike on Merowe
Sudanese intelligence sources said drones fired seven rockets at Merowe, while residents reported up to 28 explosions overnight. The army’s 19th Division said the attacks targeted its headquarters, the city airport, and the Merowe Dam, plunging the area into darkness.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said civilians fleeing RSF-held zones into government-controlled territory reflects total lack of trust in the RSF, noting that displaced families are traveling long distances to stay within areas under state control.
