U.S. appeals for Sudan ceasefire amid accusations against UAE

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan, during a phone call on Friday with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose country has been repeatedly accused of backing Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to a State Department statement, the two officials also discussed the implementation of President Donald Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza, aimed at ending hostilities and stabilizing the region.

Rubio “emphasized the importance of achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan,” the statement said, underscoring Washington’s concern over the deepening crisis in the war-torn country.

Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict since April 2023, as rival factions — the national army and the RSF — battle for power. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced nearly 12 million people, and triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, peace remains elusive. Negotiations aimed at securing a truce, led by a group including the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, have so far failed to produce results and are now at a stalemate, according to a source close to the talks.

On October 26, after 18 months of fighting, RSF forces seized El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still under army control, raising fears of new atrocities in the war-scarred region.

Although Abu Dhabi has denied the allegations, multiple NGOs and U.N. experts accuse the UAE of providing financial and military support to the RSF — claims that the Gulf state rejects as politically motivated.

Earlier this week, on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Canada, Rubio called for an immediate halt to arms deliveries to the RSF, saying Washington is aware of which countries are supplying weapons — though he stopped short of naming the UAE.

The U.S. continues to back regional mediation efforts while pushing for accountability and unimpeded humanitarian access in Sudan, where conditions are deteriorating at an alarming rate.