U.S. Secretary of State condemns RSF, urges end to external support in Sudan

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has commented on the worsening situation in Sudan, where the conflict has intensified since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of El Fasher and pushed their offensive deeper into territories held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

“The fundamental problem we have is that RSF agrees to things and then never follows through,” the Secretary said, addressing the challenges facing international efforts to secure cease fire and humanitarian truce in Sudan.

Commenting on the reported military support the RSF has been receiving, the Secretary added, “Something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances.”

“There are countries involved in helping these elements on the ground fighting,” the Secretary continued. “They are clearly receiving assistance from outside that’s allowing them — and clearly that assistance is not just coming from some countries paying for it, it’s also coming from countries that are allowing their territories to be used for shipment and transport.”

The Secretary also noted that the RSF is committing systematic violence against children, women, and civilians. This marks the strongest position taken by the U.S. since the RSF captured El Fasher.

El Fasher, which had been under siege by the RSF for nearly 600 days before falling, has seen mounting evidence of systematic violence against civilians, mass killings, and war crimes. Investigations, including those by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, have documented extensive violations, while survivors have reported harrowing experiences of abuse and displacement.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has been widely implicated as a major supplier and supporter of the RSF, remains part of the “Quad Initiative” alongside the U.S., U.K., and Saudi Arabia. The UAE has consistently denied involvement in supplying or funding the RSF.

The Secretary’s comments come as human rights groups intensify calls for greater pressure on the RSF to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely and to ensure the protection of civilians trapped in El fasher and surrounding cities.