US ambassadors highlight Sudan crisis at home and abroad

The US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, says that he met with Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday evening in Nairobi as part of his consultations on the war in Sudan, according to a post on X (formerly twitter). The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also took to X to warn that Sudan is “facing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet”. She called on the international community to focus on this disaster.

During their Nairobi meeting, Perriello and Ruto agreed on the necessity of diplomatic negotiations, as they believe there is no credible military path to victory. Ruto expressed a “sense of urgency” regarding the need for regional action, emphasising that neither warring side has the capacity to achieve a military victory and should therefore accept diplomatic negotiations.

The Kenyan president reiterated his country’s concern about the situation in Sudan and stated that military intervention is not the best solution. Instead, he called for the parties to the conflict to enter dialogue to establish “sustainable peace and security” in Sudan.

As reported by Radio Dabanga, the Special Envoy is currently on tour in neighbouring countries to Sudan, having visited Uganda last month to meet El Hadi Idris, of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) – Transitional Council faction, along with testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington D.C. on May 1.

US Ambassador

In a post, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, highlights a New York Times piece that described the looming spectre of famine, particularly in the capital, Khartoum, one of Africa’s largest cities. According to the article, “more than 220,000 malnourished children are at risk of dying in the coming months if they do not receive the necessary food and care”.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield noted that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are using food as a weapon of war, in reference to multiple reports. One such reports flags Sudan as a “hunger hotspot“, indicating previous reports that the Sudanese government is restricting essential aid from entering regions such as Darfur and the RSF imposing high fees roads on the highways of Kordofan.

In a separate post, Thomas-Greenfield condemned what she described as horrific RSF attacks on civilians in El Fasher, Wad Al Noura, and other parts of Sudan in recent days. She mentioned that “scores of Sudanese have been massacred, displaced, and brutalised by General Hemedti and his troops”, adding that this war is destroying Sudan and its people for the “sake of selfish ambitions for power.”

The ambassador called for the need for peace and highlighted the international community’s escalating efforts in response to the ongoing crisis in El Fasher and the impending famine that threatens to affect Sudan nationwide.

In previous reports, she stated that “…there will be direct and immediate consequences for those responsible for an offensive on El Fasher.” Urging the belligerents to return to the negotiating table and protect civilians at all costs, she argued that the resolution of this conflict will not be found on the battlefield. She also said that both sides claim to liberate the country while destroying it instead.