Statement by the U.S. President on the Sudan Crisis

Agencies - Moatinoon
U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed that the United States will not abandon its commitment to the people of Sudan, who deserve freedom, peace, and justice. He urged all parties to the conflict to end the violence.

In a statement released by the White House yesterday, Biden called on both sides of the conflict in Sudan to resume negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war since April 2023, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

“I call on the warring parties to withdraw their forces, facilitate humanitarian access, and re-engage in negotiations to end this war,” he said.

In his statement, Biden expressed regret over the siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces on the city of El Fasher, which recently escalated into an "intense assault," pointing to the atrocities inflicted on civilians since the start of the conflict.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a fierce war between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The U.S. president warned that this war has created “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” particularly noting the displacement of nearly “10 million people.”

On August 14, the United States initiated discussions in Switzerland to expand humanitarian aid access and reach a ceasefire.

The talks ended after about ten days without an agreement on a ceasefire, but both warring sides committed to ensuring safe and unobstructed humanitarian access through two main corridors.

In his statement, Biden reminded that U.S. aid to Sudanese civilians has reached 1.6 billion over two years.

Biden stressed that “both parties must immediately allow unhindered humanitarian access to all regions of Sudan.”