Senior Adviser to the U.S. President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos told Al Arabiya.net that Riyadh and Washington have demonstrated practical alignment toward ending the war in Sudan and establishing a dialogue framework to resolve a crisis that has produced the world’s largest displacement wave.
Boulos said his meeting with Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense, was productive and addressed regional crises, including Sudan. The meeting followed a visit by Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Riyadh, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He stressed that the United States is working with Saudi Arabia within the International Quartet—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and the U.S.—to achieve peace in Sudan. “We discussed the importance of peace in Sudan to bolster broader regional stability and security, as well as practical steps toward a humanitarian truce, expanded humanitarian access, and sustainable stability,” he said.
Boulos reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to facilitating dialogue among the Sudanese parties to end the war and transition to civilian rule, urging the parties to immediately accept and implement the proposed humanitarian truce without delay. He noted the truce obliges belligerents to halt hostilities and enable aid delivery, underscoring the need for strict compliance.
He added that a ceasefire would create space for dialogue and launch a political track to stop the violence, emphasizing that Washington has never viewed Sudan as a secondary file, describing the crisis in Khartoum as the world’s largest humanitarian emergency.
Boulos called on the parties to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers, open unhindered humanitarian corridors, ensure safe passage for civilians fleeing violence, and comply with international humanitarian law, with accountability for failures.
Reiterating U.S. policy, Boulos said President Trump wants peace in Khartoum, placing responsibility on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to agree to and honor a humanitarian truce without preconditions. He urged an end to what he described as a “horrific” conflict, including halting external financial and military support that fuels violence.
He concluded by stressing the need for full, safe humanitarian access without conditions, noting that “a truce does not only save lives—it should be a vital step toward sustained dialogue and lasting peace.”
