U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt outline roadmap to end Sudan’s deadly conflict

The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt called Friday for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transitional process toward civilian-led governance.

The so-called “Quad” countries, considered the most influential with Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), set out a roadmap aimed at ending the country’s devastating war, which has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and widespread famine.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four nations emphasized that “there is no viable military solution to the conflict” and stressed the need for a ceasefire to prevent further suffering.

The plan calls for an immediate permanent ceasefire after the three-month truce, followed by a nine-month transitional process to establish civilian-led governance. Neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF immediately commented on the proposal.

The UAE has been accused of supporting the RSF, while Egypt and, to a lesser extent, Saudi Arabia have backed the army. The Quad expressed support for Sudan’s unity, amid the RSF establishing its own parallel government controlling much of Darfur, including the siege of al-Fashir.

The statement explicitly rejected any role for the Muslim Brotherhood or affiliated Islamist groups, long a common adversary of the four nations. In line with this, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Sudan’s finance minister Jibril Ibrahim and the Baraa Ibn-Malik Brigade, both linked to Islamist forces. The Treasury said the measures aim to “limit Islamist influence within Sudan and curtail Iran’s regional activities.”

It remains uncertain whether the army and RSF will accept the truce, with past ceasefire attempts in al-Fashir showing partial compliance.

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