In 2019, millions of Sudanese citizens rose up peacefully to end decades of dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir. Women, youth leaders, and neighborhood resistance committees demanded civilian rule, dignity, and accountability. For a moment, democratic change felt possible.
But the military never fully relinquished power. In 2021, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo carried out a coup that derailed the transition. International efforts to stabilize the country, including those backed by the United States, focused heavily on negotiating with these same military leaders. Sudanese civil society groups warned that centering talks on generals while sidelining grassroots democratic voices would entrench armed power rather than dismantle it. When war broke out in April 2023, those two men became rival warlords, and civilians were left without protection.
A Humanitarian Catastrophe — and Genocide in Darfur
Sudan is now facing one of the worst humanitarian crises and the largest displacement crisis in the world. Millions have been displaced. Millions more face acute hunger. Hospitals have been destroyed. Children are out of school.
In Darfur, including the city of Al Fashir, thousands of civilians have been killed during major offensives. The United States has formally determined that members of the Rapid Support Forces are committing genocide against non-Arab communities in Darfur. Ethnically targeted killings and widespread sexual violence have been documented by U.N. experts.
Gold, Weapons, and Outside Interests
This war is not driven by rivalry alone. Sudan is one of Africa’s largest gold producers, and control of those gold mines helps finance armed groups, particularly the RSF. Gold revenue is used to buy weapons and pay fighters. As long as money from gold and new weapons continue to flow, the incentives for peace remain weak.
Regional governments have backed opposing sides in the war. Egypt has supported the Sudanese Armed Forces, while the United Arab Emirates has been accused by U.N. experts of backing the Rapid Support Forces. As outside money and weapons enter Sudan, the violence deepens and civilians suffer.
Why U.S. Engagement Matters
As a global actor with diplomatic influence, the United States has tools that can help protect civilians and support a return to civilian rule. That includes pressing for accountability for atrocities, including genocide in Darfur, working to curb the flow of weapons into the conflict, and ensuring that Sudan’s civilian leaders — not just armed factions — are included in shaping the country’s future.
The Ask: Act for Sudan
H.R. 1939, the U.S. Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act, calls for sustained U.S. leadership focused on civilian protection, accountability, and a return to democratic rule.
The legislation would:
● Strengthen U.S. diplomatic engagement focused on civilian protection
● Promote accountability for human rights abuses
● Increase congressional oversight of peace negotiations
● Support a coordinated international approach to ending the conflict
The people who filled Sudan’s streets in 2019 asked for freedom and dignity. Today, many of them are displaced, under siege, or grieving loved ones. Supporting this legislation is one concrete way to stand with those civilians and reaffirm that their call for democratic rule still matters.
Contact your Representative today and urge them to support H.R. 1939, the US Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act.
Stop the atrocities in Sudan. Support sustained U.S. engagement.
Take action today.