Can Trump End Africa’s Largest War?
Sudan Events – Agencies
Following his success in brokering peace in one African conflict, President Donald Trump and his administration are now seen as being in a “unique position” to help end another major war on the continent—Sudan’s war—according to a prominent analyst.
On June 27, President Trump invited the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to the White House to sign a peace agreement, ending their 30-year conflict.
Cameron Hudson, a former senior official for African affairs in the George W. Bush administration, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s efforts to mediate peace in Africa were “refreshing,” and that U.S. intervention in Sudan is necessary.
Sudan’s war is often referred to as the “forgotten war,” with an estimated 150,000 people killed. On Friday, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital that 14.2 million people have been displaced since the outbreak of civil war between the government and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. The spokesperson added: “More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, and over 630,000 are experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. The suffering in Sudan underscores the urgent need for a swift and lasting negotiated end to the conflict.”
During a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, U.S. Acting Deputy Representative Ambassador Dorothy Shea stated:
“By many measures, the conflict in Sudan represents the world’s worst humanitarian crisis today. We call on the warring parties in Sudan to cease hostilities, allow unrestricted humanitarian access across the country, and protect civilians.”
Shea continued: “The United States calls for the RSF to be held accountable for acts of genocide in Sudan, including killing men and boys—some of them infants—based on ethnicity, targeting fleeing civilians, and committing horrific sexual violence against women and girls from other ethnic groups.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that aid convoys are being targeted, hospitals bombed, and food and water are deliberately denied. Rebel RSF fighters are said to have besieged the city of El Fasher and surrounding camps in Darfur, effectively placing the area under blockade.
Hudson, who also served as an adviser at the State Department, told Fox News Digital that the time is right for President Trump to act, stating: “He is rapidly positioning himself as a global peacemaker—and that message resonates deeply with African leaders and their people.”
Trump’s personal diplomacy, especially when framed as peace-driven, has been well received. Domestically, his prioritization of peace in the Congo–Rwanda conflict is viewed as genuine.
“Africans generally don’t begrudge the president for his agenda to secure critical minerals. I think they see his transparency and directness as refreshing in an American president. Washington usually speaks of values while pursuing interests in a contradictory way. As for Trump, they see his interests as his values.”
Recalling a wave of statements and a lack of decisive action from the previous U.S. administration, Hudson added:
“Looking at the facts on the ground in Sudan today, this may be our last opportunity to save the country from total collapse. American intervention is now essential—not just for regional stability but also to safeguard long-term U.S. security interests.”
“A failed state of 50 million people on the shores of the Red Sea would disrupt a vital commercial maritime corridor, destabilize Gulf allies, and send waves of migrants into Europe and Africa. None of this serves Washington’s interests.”
During her Security Council briefing this week, Ambassador Shea noted that the United States believes:
“External support for the warring parties in Sudan only prolongs the conflict and must stop.”
Hudson emphasized: “The Trump administration is uniquely positioned to make a difference in Sudan. The major backers of the warring sides—Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey—are all U.S. allies, and President Trump has built close relationships and considerable influence with each of them. He is in a position to help these countries reconcile their differences and agree to end their support for the war. It will require sincere diplomacy, but that’s the message Trump is trying to project: that he is a peacemaker.”
On Friday, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department reiterated to Fox News Digital:
“The United States remains focused on working with partners to resolve the crisis in Sudan. We support the restoration of civilian governance in a peaceful and unified Sudan. We continue to work with key regional partners and others to press the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to cease hostilities, allow unfettered humanitarian access across the country, protect civilians, and take steps toward a negotiated peace through inclusive dialogue.”
