Ranking Member Shaheen, Chairman Risch, Bipartisan Colleagues Statement on Violence in Sudan

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jim Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Tim Scott (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Todd Young (R-ID) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), released the following statement on the violence in Sudan:

"We are horrified by the ongoing civil war in Sudan, and the genocide in Darfur perpetuated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias. The RSF's long-predicted ethnically targeted assault on the civilian population of El-Fasher makes clear that the United States must consider the designation of the RSF as a potential Foreign Terrorist Organization or Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization, while establishing clear authorizations and mechanisms for the continued delivery of humanitarian aid," said the senators.

"Now in its third year, Sudan's civil war has devastated the country, shattered Sudanese society, and destabilized the region. Both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed atrocities against civilians and pursued a zero-sum war at any cost. Foreign backers of the RSF and SAF-including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia, Iran, China and governments in the immediate region-have fueled and profited from the conflict and legitimized the monsters destroying Sudan," the senators continued.

"This war poses grave risk to the United States. Sudan's location on the Red Sea is vital for global trade and energy flows. The country's history as a haven for terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, its facilitation of vast illicit flow of arms and gold and the movement of fighters and civilians across its borders threaten U.S. national security and economic stability. Achieving a sustainable ceasefire, ensuring unhindered humanitarian access and securing safe corridors for civilians across Sudan is paramount. The warring parties and their foreign backers must work with the United States and its partners to end this catastrophic war immediately.

"The U.S.-led "Quad" diplomacy (with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) is an important step that requires all parties to engage in good faith negotiations. Ensuring meaningful participation by Sudanese civilians will strengthen future efforts and give legitimacy to any lasting peace," the senators concluded.

Background

The civil war in Sudan, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has plunged the country into one of the world's worst and most underreported humanitarian crises.

The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), is carrying out genocide and other mass atrocities against non-Arab communities and perceived opponents-continuing the same brutality they inflicted as the Janjaweed during the first Darfur genocide in 2003. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied militias-including entrenched Islamist elements-have likewise targeted civilians through starvation, chemical attacks and other atrocities, further destabilizing the region.

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