US Warns of Regional Escalation as Sudan War Spillover Threatens Chad

The US has expressed serious concern over a reported Sudanese army air strike inside Chad, with American envoy Massad Boulos warning that the ongoing conflict in Sudan risks crossing borders and further destabilising the entire region.

Mr Boulos, serving as President Donald Trump 's adviser for Arab and African affairs, stated that he addressed the incident during a phone call with Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby. He strongly emphasised the necessity of halting external military and financial backing for the rival factions engaged in combat in Sudan.

Writing in a post on X, Mr Boulos noted the discussion regarding the recent SAF aerial strike on Chad, underscoring deep concerns over the war spilling across borders, driving further escalation, and threatening regional peace and stability.

These remarks followed accusations from Chad claiming that Sudan's army launched air and drone strikes against a convoy deep within Chadian territory last week. According to Chad's military authorities, the strikes targeted a convoy more than 100km inside the Ennedi-Est region after it crossed the border from Sudan. Condemning the incident as a violation of sovereignty, Chad placed its forces on heightened alert and asserted its right to defend its territorial integrity.

While Sudan's army has not officially acknowledged responsibility, the Sudanese army-led administration previously alleged that Chad permitted fighters and military supplies destined for the Rapid Support Forces to transit through its territory. The Rapid Support Forces are the paramilitary group currently fighting the army. Meanwhile, Chad has firmly denied involvement in the war and continues to serve as a primary destination for Sudanese refugees escaping the violence in the Darfur region.

The African Union also voiced alarm over the reported air strikes in Ennedi-Est, affirming their connection to the wider war in Sudan. In a statement, the bloc's chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf did not assign blame but urged all sides to exercise utmost restraint to prevent the conflict from spreading beyond Sudan's borders.

Emphasising Chad's crucial humanitarian role, Mr Boulos conveyed US appreciation for the nation's efforts in facilitating aid delivery to Darfur and supporting Sudanese refugees. Western Sudan's vast Darfur region remains a major center of violence, marked by ethnically charged killings attributed to the RSF.

The devastating war between the Sudanese army and the RSF broke out in April 2023 following a disagreement regarding the nation's political transition and the integration of both forces. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, leaving an estimated 20 million people facing hunger.

Despite repeated efforts by the US and regional powers to secure a ceasefire, peace initiatives have faltered. Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan has insisted on continuing the fight until the RSF is defeated or surrenders. Although the RSF has shown more willingness to engage in peace talks than the army, it has rejected any process that grants legitimacy to Gen Al Burhan as Sudan’s leader—a key condition he has maintained in previous mediation attempts.

In response to the crisis, the US has pushed for stricter controls on arms flows to the warring factions, including a proposal to expand the existing UN arms embargo on Darfur to encompass all of Sudan. Intelligence suggests that more than a dozen countries are actively supplying weapons to Sudan’s warring factions, both of which have faced accusations of committing war crimes by the UN.