US Senators urge Rubio to appoint Sudan envoy, pressure conflict actors

May 9, 2025 (WASHINGTON) – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Friday called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to work with President Trump to appoint a new Special Envoy for Sudan and take stronger measures to hold accountable those prolonging the nation’s devastating conflict, now in its third year.

In a letter to Rubio, Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), M. Michael Rounds (R-SD), and Cory A. Booker (D-NJ) stressed the critical need for U.S. engagement as violence and atrocities escalate between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“You can send a strong signal to the region by working with the President to appoint a new Special Envoy for Sudan and holding accountable both Sudanese and foreign actors prolonging the conflict,” the senators wrote.

The conflict has displaced over 14 million people and left approximately 30 million – more than half of Sudan’s population – in urgent need of humanitarian aid. The letter cited estimates of upwards of 150,000 deaths in what the U.S. government has declared a genocide.

The senators urged the administration to fill the Special Envoy position, aligning with bipartisan intent expressed in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defence Authorisation Act. They also called for the nomination of senior officials for Africa, including an Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, ambassadors to key regional countries, and the appointment of a Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council.

Highlighting a recent large-scale RSF offensive in Darfur, which reportedly included the storming and burning of the Zamzam refugee camp, the letter pressed for accountability for external actors, naming the UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, as well as foreign businesses allegedly “fueling the gruesome atrocities.