U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, said the UN Security Council faces a decisive test this week as Washington pushes for urgent action to halt Sudan’s war and open a path toward civilian rule.
Boulos said he held a “very productive” meeting with Pekka Haavisto, the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Sudan, focused on efforts to stop the bloodshed, secure unrestricted humanitarian access and advance a durable peace process.
The two officials are expected to brief the Security Council on Friday, with Boulos saying the international community must move quickly behind an urgent humanitarian ceasefire to protect civilians, followed by a permanent truce and a Sudanese-led civilian transition.
He said talks also focused on the need for an inclusive political process led by Sudanese civilians, describing it as essential to rescuing the country from a devastating conflict that has shattered communities, deepened famine and displaced millions.
Boulos stressed that humanitarian agencies must be allowed to reach civilians without obstruction, warning that any continued restrictions on aid access would worsen an already catastrophic situation.
The remarks come as Western governments step up warnings over the situation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, where the Rapid Support Forces have been accused of escalating drone strikes and threatening a wider assault on the strategic city.
RSF and TASIS-aligned voices, however, have framed El Obeid differently, arguing that the city has been turned by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) into a major military hub rather than a purely civilian centre. They say SAF has used El Obeid as a command point, logistics base and launchpad for operations across Kordofan and toward Darfur, making it central to the wider military balance in Sudan.
That argument has been echoed by pro-RSF commentators who describe El Obeid as one of the last key strongholds of the old SAF-aligned order in central Sudan. They say any pressure around the city is tied to dismantling SAF’s operational network, while Western governments and rights groups warn that any wider battle could place hundreds of thousands of civilians at grave risk.
The UK and several European allies called for an immediate halt to attacks, safe passage for civilians and urgent humanitarian access. They also urged external actors to use their influence to prevent further escalation, warning that foreign backing continues to prolong Sudan’s war.
El Obeid remains one of Sudan’s most important transport and humanitarian hubs, linking central Sudan with Kordofan and Darfur.
