U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a pointed warning regarding the trajectory of the war in Sudan, declaring that the Trump administration will not allow the “International Quad”—the U.S., UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt—to be used as cover for obstructing efforts to halt the fighting or for continuing arms shipments to the RSF.
Following talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Canada, Rubio said: “Something must be done to prevent weapons from reaching the RSF”—a statement analysts described as the strongest U.S. signal yet implicating Abu Dhabi in supporting the militia that captured El Fasher last month after an 18-month siege.
Diplomatic sources in Washington say the administration is considering targeted pressure against Emirati figures, as intelligence reports continue to highlight supply routes through Chad and Libya.
The remarks come ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington on 18 November, where Sudan is expected to feature prominently in his talks with President Trump, alongside discussions on normalization with Israel and major investment projects.
As the RSF expands its control across Darfur and Kordofan, the Sudanese army remains weakened after losing El Fasher but refuses any ceasefire that does not include a complete RSF withdrawal from captured cities, as well as an international mechanism to monitor weapons flowing to the militia.
Despite Washington’s pressure, both Sudanese parties are intensifying military preparations. Cargo planes have reportedly landed in Port Sudan and Eritrea to supply the army, while others arrived in Nyala to reinforce RSF operations toward Kordofan.
Washington is also ramping up regional diplomacy, with new meetings held in Cairo this week between army representatives and American and Egyptian mediators aimed at containing escalation and managing the behavior of Khartoum’s and Abu Dhabi’s regional allies.
