Sudanese groups urge U.S. to impose ceasefire, warn of genocide

August 15, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Dozens of Sudanese civil society organizations have urged a top U.S. official to impose a ceasefire and sanctions to end a war they warned has descended into genocide, according to a memorandum seen by Sudan Tribune.

In a memo sent to Massad Boulos, the U.S. President’s Advisor on African Affairs, the groups said the American role was a “last glimmer of hope before the situation spirals completely out of control.”

The coalition, which includes the Darfur Bar Association and an umbrella of 38 human rights organizations, argued that the conflict has evolved from a power struggle into a proxy war threatening international peace and security.

The appeal follows a meeting on Monday between Boulos and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief. The groups praised the meeting as a “genuine opportunity” if Washington avoids past mistakes, such as the “Quartet” mechanism that they said excluded Sudan as a primary party.

The groups demanded a three-pronged international intervention: an imposed and monitored ceasefire, targeted sanctions on war leaders and their financial backers, and a binding U.N. Security Council resolution to force an end to the conflict.

“The majority of the people no longer accepts the slogans raised by the two parties to the conflict,” the memo stated, adding that the U.N. and African Union had proven incapable of forcing a solution.

The groups also criticized past peace agreements, such as those signed in Juba and Doha, for focusing on power-sharing that deepened divisions rather than fostering genuine popular participation.