Maryknoll OGC Joins Letter to Senator Rubio Regarding Sudan Crisis

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined thirty faith and civil society groups in a letter to Senator Marco Rubio, Trump nominee for Secretary of Sate, requesting he prioritize ending the Sudan crisis through diplomatic efforts, appointing a special envoy, support for local aid providers, and support for atrocity documentation. Read as a PDF.

December 5, 2024

Dear Senator Rubio,

We, the undersigned organizations, write to you regarding the ongoing crisis in Sudan. As the presumptive 72nd Secretary of State, we know that you will have several competing priorities to deal with. We write to encourage you to ensure Sudan is a top priority for President Trump’s foreign policy.

Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has wreaked havoc on the Sudanese people and created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis. Civilians have both been caught in the crossfire and directly targeted. Mass atrocities, gross human rights violations, food insecurity, and climate-related disasters have forcibly displaced more than 11 million people from their homes. More than half the country is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, with several areas across Sudan at risk of famine.

In the aftermath of the 2019 revolution, you led a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the transition to a civilian-led government in Sudan. The Sudanese people still dream of a peaceful and democratic Sudan, but before that dream can be realized the war must end. Renewed diplomatic engagement, especially with the external actors fueling the war, is needed to end the conflict.

In addition to humanitarian concerns and democratic aspirations, the situation in Sudan should be a national security concern for President Trump’s administration. With violent extremist groups spreading across the Sahel, the US cannot afford to let Sudan devolve into a failed state, providing these groups with access to the Red Sea. The 2024 Director of National Intelligence’s Annual Threat Assessment stated, “With Sudan at the crossroads of the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and North Africa, it could once again become an ideal environment for terrorist and criminal networks.”

China and Russia both have a vested interest in the outcome of Sudan’s War. Both countries have a history of supplying arms to Sudan, China has been a top importer of Sudanese oil and has invested billions in Sudan’s energy sector, and Russia is seeking to establish a naval base near Port Sudan.

Action must be taken to protect civilians, end the war, support the Sudanese people in achieving a democratic and free Sudan, and provide regional stability. We encourage you to:

Increase Diplomatic Pressure on External Actors Fueling the War: The reason the conflict in Sudan has been able to continue for more than a year and a half is due to the support external actors are giving the warring parties. A concerted diplomatic effort must be made to engage with each of these external actors to use their influence over the parties to reach a diplomatic solution.

Appoint a Special Envoy: The situation in Sudan requires high-level bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagement to ensure humanitarian access, a diplomatic solution to end the war, and a transition to a civilian-led government. A Special Envoy for Sudan is best positioned to coordinate Sudan policy at the highest levels and engage with Sudanese civil society to achieve peace in Sudan. We encourage all future negotiations and processes to have inclusive representation of youth, civil society, and women in line with the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017, of which you were an original cosponsor.

Prioritize Support to Local Aid Providers: Sudanese civil society has proven to be capable, efficient, and effective at delivering humanitarian aid, healthcare, and protection services despite the extremely difficult operating environment. Many of these locally-led initiatives have been able to secure access when large international organizations could not. The State Department and USAID should prioritize streamlining the process to support Sudanese NGOs, emergency response rooms, community kitchens, and other local initiatives.

Support Documentation of Atrocity Crimes and Gross Human Rights Violations: A long history of impunity is a major contributing factor to the current crisis in Sudan. The same men who never faced justice for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and elsewhere are leading this current war and committing a new wave of atrocity crimes. Accountability must be a priority after the war is brought to an end. Investments must be made now to support local documentation efforts and archives to prepare for eventual trials and tribunals. To that end, local NGOs have been pivotal in documenting human rights abuses and atrocities committed across the country and need financial and logistical support to continue their necessary work.

We encourage you to prioritize Sudan in your new role and we welcome the opportunity to brief you or your staff on the situation in Sudan.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Peacebuilding

American Friends Service Committee

Avaaz

Canada House of Resilience Society

Confluence Advisory

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

Humanity United

International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Jewish World Watch

Journal of Social Encounters

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Medglobal

Minnesota Peace Project

New Lines Institute

Nonviolent Peaceforce

Operation Broken Silence

Pax Christi New York State

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Office of Public Witness

Public International Law & Policy Group

Sudan Transnational Consortium

Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker

Sudan Unlimited

Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA)

Sudanese American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA)

Sudanese Women Rights Action

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)

The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)

Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition TASSC International

US Campaign for Burma

Women for Women International

Official photo of Senator Rubio (R-FL) from the U.S. Senate.