By Ajong Mbapndah L
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Sudan’s devastating civil war enters its fourth year with no end in sight, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced new legislation aimed at increasing pressure on the country’s warring factions and their foreign backers while strengthening diplomatic efforts to secure a negotiated peace.
The proposed Preventing External Aggression and Conflict Escalation (PEACE) in Sudan Act of 2026 was introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Jim Risch, Chris Coons and John Cornyn, reflecting growing concern in Washington over what lawmakers describe as the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.
The legislation seeks to provide the U.S. government with additional tools to hold accountable those fueling the conflict, including Sudan’s rival military forces and external actors accused of prolonging the war.
“The Sudanese people are enduring the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crisis, while the RSF, SAF and their external backers continue to pursue a zero-sum war that has no military solution,” Senator Shaheen said in announcing the bill.
She argued that the legislation would strengthen U.S. efforts to punish those responsible for violence while supporting diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the conflict.
“The Sudanese people deserve peace and prosperity, and a stable Sudan would fundamentally benefit regional security, Red Sea commerce and U.S. national security,” Shaheen added.
The conflict erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), plunging Sudan into one of the most destructive wars in its modern history.
According to humanitarian agencies, more than 14 million people have been displaced from their homes, while nearly 20 million Sudanese face acute food insecurity. An estimated five million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger or famine conditions.
U.S. lawmakers say the war has evolved beyond an internal power struggle, with regional and international actors providing varying levels of support to the rival camps.
Senator Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described the conflict as both a humanitarian catastrophe and a growing security threat.
“The war in Sudan is a humanitarian catastrophe, a source of instability in Africa, and a threat to U.S. national security,” Risch said.
“We cannot allow Sudan to continue devolving into chaos, causing uncontrolled migration, human suffering and serving as a haven for terrorists.”
The proposed legislation would authorize expanded sanctions targeting individuals, entities and foreign actors found to be supporting the conflict. It also calls on the U.S. Secretary of State to assess whether armed actors operating in Sudan meet the criteria for designation as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
In addition, the bill would place restrictions on certain forms of non-humanitarian assistance to Sudan and require updated guidance for American businesses regarding the risks associated with operating in Sudan and engaging with Sudanese resource supply chains.
A key provision of the legislation extends authorization for a dedicated U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, signaling Washington’s intention to maintain focused diplomatic engagement on the crisis.
Senator Coons emphasized that military victory was unlikely for either side and reiterated the need for a negotiated settlement.
“The ongoing civil war in Sudan is the globe’s largest humanitarian crisis, and yet the world has spent too much time closing its eyes to three years of atrocities and death,” Coons said.
“This war will only end with a diplomatic solution, and every responsible nation must push all sides to the bargaining table to achieve a durable and lasting peace in Sudan.”
The bill also seeks to improve congressional oversight by requiring regular State Department reports detailing foreign government involvement in the conflict, atrocities committed by armed groups, and information regarding assets held abroad on behalf of Sudan’s warring parties.
Senator Cornyn said the measure was designed to raise the costs of continuing the conflict while advancing prospects for peace.
“Prolonged armed conflict in Sudan has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians and created a deteriorating regional security environment that offers a breeding ground for malign actors,” Cornyn said.
The legislation comes amid mounting international concern over reports of atrocities committed by all sides in the conflict. U.S. lawmakers noted that the RSF has been accused of genocide and mass atrocities against non-Arab communities, while the SAF and allied militias have faced allegations involving starvation tactics, attacks on civilians and other serious human rights violations.
Despite numerous mediation efforts led by regional and international actors, negotiations have repeatedly stalled, leaving millions of Sudanese trapped in worsening humanitarian conditions.
The senators behind the PEACE in Sudan Act argue that stronger international coordination, targeted sanctions and sustained diplomacy are essential to changing the calculations of the conflict’s protagonists.
The legislation also encourages the U.S. State Department to work toward building a broader international coalition focused on ending the war and supporting a political settlement.
For many Sudanese civilians, however, the urgency extends beyond diplomacy. With millions displaced, communities devastated and famine conditions spreading across parts of the country, humanitarian organizations continue to warn that the cost of inaction grows higher by the day.
As Washington weighs new measures to influence the conflict, the broader challenge remains whether increased international pressure can help bring Sudan’s rival forces back to the negotiating table and halt a war that has already inflicted immense suffering on one of Africa’s largest nations.
