During an interview with Al Hadath channel, the US envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, warned that nearly twenty million Sudanese are at risk of famine, emphasizing the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to save lives.
Perriello stated, “The message was very clear, everyone wants to end this war urgently… Millions of Sudanese are suffering from this brutal war witnessing atrocious acts against women and children… Signs of famine are spreading… More than 20 million people are at risk of famine and humanitarian disasters due to their inability to access basic humanitarian supplies… All of this adds to the ongoing violence.”
Additionally, the US envoy affirmed that “there are positive international interventions aimed at reaching a peace agreement,” mentioning Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and African counterparts like Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, all expressing their desire to end the war and restore Sudanese people’s future prospects.
Perriello commended Saudi Arabia for hosting several rounds of Sudanese negotiations, urging the resumption of talks after Ramadan.
He said, “We are grateful for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of previous negotiation rounds, and we see that relaunching these talks as soon as possible is crucial. We hope it will be after the end of Ramadan. We see that escalating this conflict causes immense humanitarian suffering, and we believe these talks should involve key partners from Africa and the region, all willing to play a role for peace.”
Furthermore, Perriello stressed that both parties have committed serious human rights violations, adding, “Both sides have committed violations, including ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity against the Masalit people by the Rapid Support Forces, along with recent reports of forced recruitment of men and boys in this conflict. We continue to monitor these heinous acts. With the knowledge that with communication cut off, we do not have all the data we need to clarify the level of famine, for example. We call on both sides to stop these heinous crimes and abide by international humanitarian law, allowing foodstuffs to cross borders and front lines and not to exploit civilians as weapons of war.”
The US envoy also affirmed that Sudanese people want to form a unified army and begin a transitional phase, considering that “the Sudanese Armed Forces are older than the state itself and must be respected.” He also believed that “Sudanese competencies are capable of managing the country without political ambitions.”
