US vows to ‘raise the cost’ of Sudan war

The United States says it will seek to “raise the cost” of continued fighting in Sudan for the warring parties and the networks supporting them.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, 22 September, US State Department spokesman Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said neither the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had made a serious commitment to an immediate truce.

He said both sides had instead intensified combat operations and drone strikes that kill civilians.

The statement came as Sudan urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene over the denial of a visa to military leader Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan.

Al-Burhan was due to give his country’s speech at the United Nations on Thursday, despite accusations of war crimes against him.

A diplomatic source and a Western analyst with knowledge of US-Sudan relations told Reuters that the visa appeared to have been made conditional on Gen. Burhan agreeing to a 90-day ceasefire proposed by Massad Boulos, the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs.

The US has repeatedly urged the two sides to accept a humanitarian truce without preconditions and enter an inclusive political dialogue leading to a civilian government.

Pigott said the United States was prepared to work with “anyone who is a serious partner for peace” in Sudan.

He did not specify what measures Washington would take to increase the pressure or cost on the warring parties and the networks supporting them.

The State Department said neither the SAF nor the RSF, nor their respective leaders, represent legitimate constitutional governance for Sudan, arguing that they “rule through force of arms alone”.

It said the conduct of the leaders of both factions made them ineligible to govern the country.

The war between the SAF, led by Gen. Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, began in April 2023.

The conflict has displaced millions of people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with civilians bearing much of the impact of the fighting.

The US said its goal is to restore peace and “give power back to the Sudanese people”.

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