U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated on Thursday that the U.S. has engaged in direct discussions with countries implicated in exacerbating the conflict in Sudan. She emphasized urging regional states to discourage Iran from involvement in the war.
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, armed drones of Iranian origin played a crucial role in shifting the tide of the conflict. These drones reportedly aided the army in halting the advances of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) and reclaiming territory around the capital, as disclosed by a senior army source.
Six Iranian sources, along with regional officials and diplomats, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, corroborated the report, revealing that the military had procured Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in recent months.
The ongoing war has plunged millions into severe hunger, sparked the world’s largest displacement crisis, and triggered waves of ethnically motivated killings and sexual violence in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
U.N. experts have implicated neighboring African states, including Chad, Libya, and South Sudan, in providing support to the RSF’s war efforts. Credible allegations also suggest material assistance from the United Arab Emirates to the RSF.
In response, the UAE has asserted its humanitarian focus in Sudan and advocated for de-escalation.
Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that the U.S. maintains an ongoing dialogue with countries identified as potentially exacerbating the conflict. This engagement includes discussions with nations mentioned in news reports, such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
“We’ve been making very clear to all partners across the region that escalating the war at this time is something that is going to not only have increasing humanitarian costs, but actually risks destabilization of the entire region,” U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello said.
“Right now is the time that every arms shipment, every bit fueling this conflict is something that pushes us closer to not only famine, but to a failed state.”
