Republican and Democratic senators in the United States are calling for immediate action from President Donald Trump to address escalating violence in Sudan. The demand follows reports that the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has seized additional territory and allegedly attacked civilians in the city of El-Fasher. This surge in violence has drawn sharp condemnation from international leaders, including Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, who is urging an end to hostilities.
A recent report indicated that over 460 individuals were killed in a maternity hospital in El-Fasher, a city that has become the epicenter of conflict since its capture by the RSF. Jim Risch, the chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that the US should officially classify the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization. He described the events in El-Fasher as part of a deliberate campaign of terror, asserting, “The horrors in Darfur’s El-Fasher were no accident — they were the RSF’s plan all along.”
On the other side of the aisle, Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic senator from New Hampshire, expressed her likelihood of supporting such a designation, stressing the need for a thorough examination of the situation. She criticized the role of the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused of supporting the RSF militarily, a claim the UAE has denied. Shaheen described the UAE’s actions as contributing to one of the worst humanitarian crises globally.
The UN recently noted that the RSF’s actions may constitute “war crimes and crimes against humanity.” The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, stemmed from a power struggle between the armed forces and the RSF, leading to widespread ethnic violence and creating a severe humanitarian crisis that has displaced approximately 13 million people.
As violence escalates, the UN migration agency reported that over 36,000 people have fled El-Fasher since last Sunday. The World Health Organization reported on the attacks on hospitals, stating that the facility was assaulted multiple times, resulting in casualties among healthcare workers.
Eyewitness accounts from survivors fleeing El-Fasher reveal harrowing scenes. One mother, who lost her son to RSF fighters, recounted the chaos and fear as they escaped. The reports describe a landscape filled with “dead bodies lying on the ground” and wounded individuals abandoned due to the chaos. Another survivor, Mohamed, detailed his harrowing experience, stating he and others escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs, having witnessed horrific violence along the way.
The Trump administration has yet to respond publicly to the calls for action, including the potential designation of the RSF as a terrorist organization. In January, the previous administration under Joe Biden determined that the RSF and its allied militias had committed genocide, imposing sanctions on the group’s leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti.
As the situation in Sudan deteriorates, international leaders continue to urge for immediate intervention and accountability for the atrocities being committed against civilians. The urgency for a coordinated response has become increasingly critical as reports of violence and loss of life continue to emerge from the conflict-ridden region.
