US secures Aid agreement for besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher

Massad Boulos, U.S. senior advisor for Africa, has announced that Washington—working in coordination with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia—has secured an agreement to allow humanitarian aid into the long-besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Boulos expressed optimism that aid delivery would begin “very, very soon.” He said the Trump administration and its regional partners had maintained “continuous communication” with both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and UN officials to facilitate the breakthrough. “Obviously the UAE is continuously in touch with them {RSF},” Boulos said. “But so too were Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” he added, noting that Cairo “also has a communication channel with RSF.”

The UAE has long denied accusations that it provides supports to the RSF. Sudanese authorities, however, have filed a genocide case against Abu Dhabi, accusing it of backing the paramilitary group. Both the RSF and Sudan’s army (SAF) face international allegations of war crimes and human rights violations.

Under the new agreement, humanitarian groups will be able to bring supplies into El Fasher on the condition that they notify RSF in advance and permit inspections of the aid by the militia.

El Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur, has been under RSF blockade for more than 500 days, leaving more than 250,000 civilians trapped. The humanitarian situation worsened further after intense attacks against the city and it’s trapped population. Recently a drone strike on a mosque has killed at least 78 people and wounded 20.

Sudan has been gripped by a brutal civil war for more than two years, pitting the RSF against the SAF. The two were once allies but turned against each other in a violent power struggle that has drawn in outside powers including foreign fighters, with reports documenting the presence of Colombian mercenaries. International responses have varied. The United States has imposed sanctions on elements of Sudan’s leadership, while the UAE continues to reject allegations that it arms Hemeti’s forces or profits from RSF-controlled gold exports. The United Nations has consistently raised concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country.