Women’s March in Darfur Appeals to Trump to Stop the War

Sudan Events – Agencies

Hundreds of Sudanese women took to the streets of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State in western Sudan, in a demonstration where they chanted slogans appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to urgently intervene to end the war in Sudan and to hold military leaders accountable for allegedly using chemical weapons against civilians in the region. Videos circulating online showed dozens of women in the city—currently under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—holding signs condemning the targeting of civilians in Darfur states.

During a meeting with the presidents of five African nations at the White House on Wednesday, Trump pledged to “bring peace to Sudan”—his first public statement outlining a vision for resolving the conflict. Speaking in the presence of the presidents of Gabon, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Mauritania, Trump said his administration was working to facilitate peace in Sudan, which, he noted, faces numerous challenges, in addition to the crisis in Libya.

Trump’s remarks coincided with the women-led protest in Nyala—the first of its kind—calling for immediate U.S. intervention to halt the war.

According to the pro-RSF platform “Ta’sis,” the demonstrators called on the U.S. president to act immediately to help stop the ongoing war in Sudan and to punish those responsible for committing crimes against civilians, especially those in Darfur, where violence and human rights abuses have reached unprecedented levels.

Use of Banned Weapons

In a joint statement, the female protesters said that the use of internationally banned weapons had caused deaths, injuries, and permanent disfigurement to large numbers of civilians. They described these attacks as crimes against humanity and systematic genocide.

Posted on X (formerly Twitter), the statement read: “We address President Trump because we know the influence the United States has on issues of justice, and we hope the voices of Darfuri women will be heard.” It added: “We, the women of Darfur, do not carry weapons, but we carry pain and hope, and we appeal to the conscience of the world to listen to us—because silence in the face of these crimes is a betrayal of human rights and complicity with the killers.”

The protesters demanded that those responsible for the violations be referred to the International Criminal Court and that punitive sanctions be imposed on military leaders involved in using such weapons. They also called for increased international pressure to open safe humanitarian corridors and ensure civilian protection. The women’s groups participating in the protest warned the international community against turning a blind eye to the ongoing atrocities in Darfur.

Meanwhile, airstrikes and drone attacks by the Sudanese army have targeted RSF positions in Nyala, leading to civilian casualties, both dead and wounded. The army claims it is targeting Nyala airport, which the RSF allegedly uses to receive military aid from abroad.

“No Military Solution”

In late June, the United States imposed sanctions on the Sudanese army for allegedly using lethal chemical and biological weapons against civilians in its war against the RSF. Earlier this month, Mossad Boulos, Special Advisor to the U.S. President for African Affairs, told Al-Sharq TV that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to convene a meeting on the war in Sudan with the “Quad” foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and the United States.

Boulos stated that there is “no military solution” in Sudan and urged the warring parties to accept a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

It’s worth noting that during his May tour of Gulf countries—which included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—President Trump addressed the situation in Sudan, affirming U.S. support for reviving the Jeddah platform, led by Saudi Arabia, to steer both parties toward a peaceful settlement.

Separately, the “Samood” Democratic Civilian Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, welcomed the U.S. President’s statements on facilitating a peaceful resolution in Sudan and Libya. Coalition spokesperson Jaafar Hassan wrote in a Facebook post: “We urge friendly and brotherly nations to support the paths of a negotiated political solution to end the war.” He added: “We hope the U.S. position will bolster the political solution track and help pave the way for peace and democratic transition in Sudan.”