Despite the complexity of the situation on the ground in Sudan, Washington still believes the de-escalation effort has a chance of succeeding.
Massad Boulos, senior adviser to President Donald Trump for Arab and African affairs, believes there is no military solution to the conflict that has raged there for years, and stressed the need to end external financial and military support to the warring parties.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat that also covered regional developments and the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Boulos said a credible path remains available for de-escalation and a lasting settlement. He said that the path should begin with both sides accepting the proposed humanitarian truce without preconditions.
Boulos said all parties in Sudan must meet their obligations, halt hostilities, and allow full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access. He also said humanitarian aid should not be subject to preconditions or politicized.
Asked about the failure to achieve a breakthrough on a truce, Trump’s senior adviser said responsibility lies with the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to reach and abide by a humanitarian truce that ends atrocities and eases the immense suffering of the Sudanese people.
He said members of the Quad group (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates) agree on the need to pursue a negotiated settlement and a steady, and implementable path forward.
He said all parties want to end the atrocities and bring stability to Sudan, especially since there is no viable military solution.
Boulos stressed the need to end external financial and military support to the warring parties.
He said the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces must also halt hostilities, allow unhindered humanitarian access across the country, protect civilians, and take steps toward a negotiated, lasting peace that includes inclusive dialogue.
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
On April 20, Boulos visited Cairo, where he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discussed several regional issues, including the dispute over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Boulos told Asharq Al-Awsat that, in January 2026, Trump had expressed the United States’ readiness to resume mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to reach a responsible and final settlement of the dam issue.
He said Washington has supported a diplomatic solution on the Nile River that takes into account the needs of all parties. He added that the United States believes a comprehensive agreement is possible and is ready to support its negotiation and completion.
Egypt announced in 2024 that negotiations with Ethiopia over the dam had stopped after years of talks, citing the absence of political will on the Ethiopian side, according to statements by the Ministry of Irrigation. Addis Ababa says the dam is intended for development and not to harm the two downstream countries.
Eastern Congo crisis
From Sudan and Ethiopia, Boulos turned to eastern Congo, where tensions have escalated for a third year and where Washington is playing a major role in de-escalation. He said there remains a possibility of ending the violent conflict.
Boulos referred to Trump’s comments on the signing of a historic peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, saying it provided, for the first time, a path toward peace to end an extremely violent conflict that has lasted 30 years. He said the effort was not easy.
He expressed deep gratitude for Qatar’s role, in partnership with the United States and other parties, in helping to end the conflict. He also praised close cooperation with other countries working with Washington and Doha, including the recent roles played by the African Union, Togo and Switzerland in supporting the talks.
Boulos said the United States remains deeply concerned about continued violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and is working closely with regional partners to strengthen the ceasefire.
He said Rwanda must end its support for the M23 movement and withdraw from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in line with the Washington Agreements.
Speaking about ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Congo, Boulos said Washington would continue to use all available tools to ensure both sides meet their obligations. He declined to comment further on the ongoing diplomatic discussions.
Iran war
Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs criticized Iran, saying there had been no retreat in the US position toward Tehran, particularly on rejecting its possession of a nuclear weapon.
Boulos described Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, saying it supports Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks.
He said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is designated by the United States and many other countries, including the European Union, as a foreign terrorist organization, and that several regime leaders have also been designated as terrorists.
Boulos said the US position on Tehran remains clear and unchanged, namely that Iran cannot be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.
In late February, Israel and the United States launched a war on Iran before Washington announced a truce that began on April 8, with Pakistani mediation aimed at a final halt to the conflict, whose repercussions affected economies around the world.
