US President Donald Trump has announced a fresh diplomatic initiative aimed at helping end Sudan’s brutal civil war, saying he was moved to act following a direct request from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The president, who previously downplayed the conflict as outside his administration’s priorities, condemned the “tremendous atrocities” unfolding in a war the United Nations ranks among the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
Speaking on Wednesday at a business forum attended by the Saudi crown prince, Trump acknowledged that he had not been closely following the fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and forced nearly 12 million people from their homes.
“His majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan,” Trump told attendees. “It was not on my charts to be involved in. I thought it was just something crazy and out of control. But I see how important it is to you and to a lot of your friends in the room. We’re going to start working on Sudan.”
The remarks came just a day after Crown Prince Mohammed received a high-profile reception at the White House, underscoring Washington’s renewed desire to deepen its strategic partnership with Riyadh.
Sudan’s Sovereign Council Welcomes Washington’s Shift
Sudan’s Saudi-backed sovereign council, led by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, swiftly welcomed Trump’s change in tone. In a statement issued through state media, the council expressed gratitude to both Washington and Riyadh for “their continued efforts to stop Sudanese bloodshed.”
Trump signalled that the new US position would involve closer coordination with regional powers, including the United Arab Emirates. The UAE — long accused by Western officials of supplying weapons and mercenaries to the RSF — has denied any involvement but remains a central diplomatic player in the Horn of Africa.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he intended to use “the influence of the presidency to bring an immediate halt” to the war, describing Sudan as “the most violent place on Earth.”
“We will work with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to get these atrocities to end, while at the same time stabilising Sudan,” he said.
RSF Advances Spark Global Alarm
International concern over Sudan’s trajectory has intensified sharply in recent weeks after the RSF captured El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still controlled by government forces. The fall of the city followed months of siege marked by ethnic killings and mass displacement, prompting UN experts to warn of potential genocide and crimes against humanity.
Humanitarian agencies say the crisis now ranks among the world’s gravest. Massad Boulos, Trump’s special envoy for Africa, described Sudan as “the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis,” underscoring the scale of hunger, displacement and widespread violence.
Although Trump has said little publicly about Sudan since returning to office nine months ago, the State Department has been quietly stepping up its engagement. Last Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed the UAE’s foreign minister to support efforts toward a ceasefire. Analysts note, however, that Washington’s attention has been dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, leaving Sudan largely absent from the international spotlight.
A Bid to Recast Himself as Peacemaker
Trump’s renewed focus on Sudan also aligns with a familiar political pattern. Since returning to the White House in January, he has frequently highlighted attempts to solve global conflicts, echoing his long-standing ambition for a Nobel Peace Prize.
His relationship with the Saudi crown prince continues to draw scrutiny, particularly after Trump again defended him over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump insisted the prince “knew nothing” about the killing — the same stance he took during his previous term.
Nonetheless, diplomats say a genuine increase in US pressure could alter the dynamics of the war at a critical moment. With Sudan’s army losing ground, famine spreading and humanitarian conditions collapsing, coordinated action from Washington and its Gulf allies may be one of the few remaining paths toward halting the violence.
Whether Trump will follow through on his pledge remains unclear. But by responding directly to Saudi concerns, he has placed Sudan back on the US diplomatic agenda — injecting new momentum into efforts to end a war that has devastated one of Africa’s largest nations.