Rubio seeks Sudan truce by New Year, warns of “horrifying” disaster
December 19, 2025 (WASHINGTON) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Sudan, setting a goal for a cessation of hostilities by the start of the New Year to address what he described as a “horrifying” and “atrocious” conflict.
Speaking at a year-end press conference at the State Department, Rubio emphasized that the United States is focusing 99% of its current diplomatic efforts on securing a pause in the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Our goal, the immediate goal we have, is a cessation of hostilities—a humanitarian truce going into the New Year that allows humanitarian organizations to be able to deliver aid to the people in great distress,” Rubio said.
Regional diplomacy
The secretary’s call follows high-level diplomatic engagement earlier this week. On Dec. 17, Rubio spoke with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to urge a humanitarian ceasefire.
Rubio addressed the role of external actors in prolonging the war, noting that both sides are receiving support from outside Sudan’s borders. While the UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, Abu Dhabi has continued to deny those accusations. Rubio highlighted that some countries are facilitating the transhipment of advanced weaponry to the RSF, prolonging a conflict he warned would leave a dark legacy.
“What’s happening there is horrifying,” Rubio said. “One day the story of what’s actually happened there is going to be known and everyone involved is going to look bad”.
Humanitarian catastrophe
The current push for a New Year truce follows previous efforts led by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE that failed to yield results. In September, this “Quad” group submitted a peace proposal to the warring forces calling for an initial three-month truce followed by a nine-month transition to civilian rule. However, Rubio noted that a major challenge remains the tendency of both sides to “agree to anything and implement nothing”.
The cost of this diplomatic deadlock has been catastrophic. Over two years of war have fueled the world’s largest displacement crisis, forcing 14 million people from their homes—including 11.7 million internally displaced and 3 million refugees in neighbouring states. This has created a massive child protection emergency, with 4 million children uprooted.
The humanitarian situation is now critical, with over 30 million people requiring aid as famine conditions spread across North Darfur and Kordofan. With a collapsed healthcare system and the destruction of local agriculture, millions are facing acute hunger and disease in what is being marked as the century’s most severe humanitarian disaster.
External pressure
Rubio maintained that because neither the SAF nor the RSF can operate without external support, the U.S. is pressuring these outside sponsors to bring their respective proxies to the table.
“Phase 1 is a humanitarian truce,” Rubio concluded. “We think that the New Year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity for both sides to agree to that”.