Shift in US Strategy: Why Washington is Hardening Its Stance on Sudan's Warring Generals

A year after the US and its Arab partners announced a plan to secure a ceasefire in Sudan, Washington is increasing pressure on the country's warring generals and declaring that neither can have a role in governing the nation after the conflict ends.

Massad Boulos, the US envoy for Arab and African affairs, stated on Tuesday that there is “no future” for Sudan's two rival military leaders, both of whom face US sanctions and allegations of grave abuses. While Washington continues to support the ceasefire roadmap agreed upon last year by the Quad—comprising the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the US—Mr Boulos acknowledged that these efforts have yet to yield results.

Washington is now taking a much firmer line against the two main figures driving the war: Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and Gen Mohamed Dagalo, who leads the Rapid Support Forces. Recent measures by Washington include pushing for a UN arms embargo across the entirety of Sudan and imposing measures on the Sudanese government over its alleged use of chemical weapons.

Areig Elhag, a Sudanese analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted that these recent actions against Khartoum represent a clear shift from earlier diplomatic strategies. Previous efforts attempted to maintain a careful balance, she explained, whereas recent pressure has focused more heavily on Gen Al Burhan.

However, this shift does not mean Washington views the RSF any more favorably. In January 2025, the Biden administration accused the RSF of genocide, a stance maintained by the Trump administration. While the RSF has publicly stated it accepts a 90-day humanitarian truce, it has rejected key aspects of the proposed withdrawal arrangements. Ms Elhag pointed out that the RSF has proven adept at telling the international community what it wants to hear while continuing military operations on the ground.

Meanwhile, Gen Al Burhan has vowed to continue fighting until the RSF is defeated. At 66 years old, the leader of Sudan since 2019 is due in New York next week for the UN General Assembly, presenting US diplomats with another opportunity to press Washington's position. Even so, Ms Elhag cautioned that additional pressure on the SAF leader may not be enough to force him to the negotiating table, noting that he does not make decisions in isolation from the armed groups, Islamists, and political forces within his camp.

This month, the SAF also faced new evidence regarding its alleged use of chemical weapons. Reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post revealed that the SAF not only utilized chemical weapons in the ongoing war but also constructed a secret stockpile that it subsequently sought to conceal. Additionally, a UN fact-finding report disclosed that the SAF used foreign-supplied drones in operations that harmed civilians.

On Friday, the UN Security Council gave members one month to discuss Washington's proposal to expand the existing Darfur arms embargo to the whole of Sudan. The conflict has already killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and triggered a massive humanitarian crisis leaving approximately 20 million people suffering from hunger. As diplomacy struggles to bear fruit, the central question remains whether Washington will intensify its pressure further to force Sudan's generals into negotiations.