Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to the U.S. President for Arab and African Affairs, attributed the failure to reach a final settlement to Sudan’s three-year-long war to the unprecedented military, political, and moral support received by both sides in the conflict. He said this support has prolonged the war and made it difficult to achieve any truce or ceasefire.
In statements to Al Jazeera Mubasher, Boulos said the dominant rhetoric among both parties still leans toward a military solution, despite describing such an outcome as “almost impossible” after three years of fighting. He stressed that the majority of Sudanese people do not want this path.
He added that “Washington remains in continuous contact with both sides as well as with Sudanese civil society,” which he described as broad and diverse, and clearly inclined toward national dialogue and a transition to civilian rule.
Regarding the possibility of exerting pressure or imposing sanctions on countries supporting the warring parties, Boulos said the United States continues its dialogue with those countries, describing the ongoing military support as “deeply unfortunate.”
He explained that “the American vision is based on supporting the path of Sudanese national dialogue as the only possible solution,” noting that this was also the outcome of the Berlin Conference. He added that this process includes ongoing meetings in African and European countries.
Boulos also pointed to a broader international framework involving the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Arab League, and Intergovernmental Authority on Development, in addition to what he described as the “quintet efforts,” stressing that all these initiatives are directed toward pushing the parties toward a political settlement.
