US Senior Adviser for Africa Massad Boulos held talks in Riyadh on Tuesday with senior Saudi officials as Washington and Riyadh step up joint efforts to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan.
Boulos met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Vice Foreign Minister Dr Walid El-Khereiji, and Political Affairs Adviser Prince Musab bin Mohammed Al-Farhan. The discussions focused on coordinating with regional partners to halt fighting that has gripped Sudan since April 2023 and to ease the mounting civilian toll.
“We had a fruitful meeting focused on our joint efforts, along with regional partners, to get a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan,” Boulos said after the meetings, adding that the US-Saudi partnership is also working on wider regional security priorities.
The diplomatic push comes as the war between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces continues to fuel what aid agencies describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Recent reports have warned of worsening conditions in North Darfur and Kordofan, where large populations face acute food insecurity and repeated displacement.
Officials involved in the initiative have framed the talks within the International Quad — the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates — which has been discussing a proposal for a three-month humanitarian truce aimed at enabling aid access to hard-to-reach areas. The plan would then seek to transition into a political process intended to establish a civilian-led government.
