Dear Members of Congress,
Exactly three years into the catastrophic war and genocide against the people of Sudan, we share with you one of an untold number of atrocities Sudanese have been forced to endure because you have the power to help bring these atrocities to an end.
“Fatima Idriss was among 6,000 trapped within the university’s western square. She recalls a calamitous breakout attempt. ‘They opened fire. More than 400 fell dead.’ Pickups were driven over survivors. Eventually the trucks could not move: there were too many bodies.”
– “Heroism, horror and the ‘pits of hell’: inside the last days of El Fasher”
by Mark Townsend, The Guardian, March 25, 2026
While the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their allied militias continue to fight each other for control of Sudan and its resources, nearly 14 million Sudanese have been displaced, including more than 4 million to other countries, and more than half the population of Sudan is in need of humanitarian assistance, including hundreds of thousands facing famine. The United Nations designated Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian, hunger and displacement crisis, and yet, even with this designation, Sudan fails to receive the attention and resources necessary to end the conflict, to protect and provide for civilians, and to support the people’s struggle for freedom, peace and justice.
We, the undersigned organizations, urge Congress to prioritize Sudan, for the purpose of saving millions of lives and securing greater U.S. and international peace and security. Sudan’s location in the Horn of Africa and on the Red Sea and its relationships with Iran, Russia, China and others is of strategic importance to the United States. Previously, instability in Sudan was a direct threat to the United States, specifically when Osama Bin Laden resided in Sudan.
The State Department, under the Trump Administration, has determined the RSF and SAF are responsible for war crimes and the RSF is responsible for genocide. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on members of the RSF, SAF and affiliated parties and most recently, designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The U.S., however, has not imposed consequences on external actors fueling the conflict, i.e., the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and Russia. All have supported one side or the other with diplomatic and/or material support. The UAE’s support has been particularly egregious as it processes gold for SAF and the RSF while also providing weapons to the RSF.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian needs continue to grow, even as the UN humanitarian response remains just 15 percent funded. Sudanese volunteer-led Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and other local mutual aid groups are on the front lines of the humanitarian response, running communal kitchens, supplying medical assistance, and helping to evacuate people at risk throughout Sudan. These groups need flexible and reliable funding.
We urge Congress to take a central role in promoting effective U.S. engagement in Sudan. To that end, please consider taking the following actions.
- Co-sponsor existing bills on Sudan, including the U.S. Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act (H.R. 1939), The Stand Up For Sudan Act (S.935), and/or introduce and pass other legislation that would require:
- A U.S. strategy to support the protection of civilians and peace in Sudan;
- Appointment and support for a U.S. Special Envoy on Sudan;
- Sanctions on those who perpetrate or enable genocide or block humanitarian aid;
- Targeting of illicit finance, weapons flows and gold industries enabling atrocities;
- UN engagement towards enforcement of the existing UN Security Council arms embargo on Darfur and expansion of the embargo to all of Sudan;
- Support for a UN mission or other mechanism to protect civilians;
- Support accountability efforts through the UN Fact Finding Mission and other international mechanisms.
- Ask the White House to appoint a U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan who regularly briefs Congress. This should be an individual with knowledge of Sudan and key influential external actors and with the gravitas and backing of the White House necessary to prioritize addressing the crisis in Sudan transparently and in bilateral and multilateral relations.
- Re-establish the Sudan Caucus to ensure bipartisan attention, engagement, and coordination on Sudan. Historically, the Sudan Caucus has been highly successful in guiding successive U.S. Administrations.
- Appropriate increased humanitarian funding for Sudan, particularly bilateral funding for local groups such as the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), and use all tools available to ensure that the administration disburses these funds in a flexible and timely manner.
Thank you for considering our urgent plea for help on behalf of the people of Sudan. The international community is failing the people of Sudan and this must not be tolerated another year. As Congress has done in the past, please help lead effective U.S. engagement on Sudan.
Sincerely,
Act for Sudan
Advocacy Network for Africa
AFRECS – American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans
African Renaissance Partners
Africans for the Horn of Africa
American African Foundation Against Torture – AAFAT
American Friends Service Committee
Amnesty International; Group 48, Portland, OR
Anglican Persecuted Church Network
Atrocities Watch Africa
Bronx United Progressives
Brooklyn Coalition for Darfur & Marginalized Sudan
Coalition Against Global Genocide
Darfur Action Group – Cornell
Darfur Action Group for South Carolina
Darfur and Beyond
Darfur Interfaith Network
Darfur Victims Organisation for Rehabilitation and Relief (DVORR)
Doctors Against Genocide
Doctors to the World
Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, Founding President, Genocide Watch
Education for Global Peace
Eric Reeves, Co-Director, Project Zamzam
Frank Wolf, Member of U.S. Congress 1981-2015, retired
Genocide Awareness Initiative (Student Organization at Seton Hall University)
Humanity United Action
iACT
Ipswich Community Action
John Weiss, Associate Professor Emeritus, Cornell
Joining Our Voices
Journal of Social Encounters
Katartismos Global
Lord David Alton of Liverpool
Manna House
New York Coalition for Sudan
No Business with Genocide
Nuba Christian Family Mission
Nuba Mountains Education Trust
Nuba Mountains Solidarity Abroad
Nuba Now
Nubia Project
Operation Broken Silence
Pam Omidyar
Pax Christi New York State
Pax Christi USA
Pittsburgh Anti-War Committee
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Project Expedite Justice
Refugees International
Rev. Dr. Thomas Lubari, CEO, Afhes (Advocacy For Peace, Justice and Environmental Safety)
Robert Hitchcock, Professor, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
South Sudan Women United
Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics, USF
Sudanese American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA)
Sudan Action Hub
Sudan Platform for Agriculture and Food Security
Sudan Rowan, Inc.
Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker
Sudan United Christian Holistic Ministry (SUCHM)
Sudan Unlimited
Sudanese Women Rights Action
Sustainable Development Response Organization (SuDRO)
The ElsaGopa Trust
The Reverend Ronald D. Culmer, St. Clare’s Episcopal Church
The Sentry
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International TASSC
Unflinching Hope Worldwide
Unite for Country
Veterans For Peace – Pittsburgh Chapter
Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation
WPA United Women in Faith
World Without Genocide