U.S Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello travels to Kenya and Ethiopia trying to end the war in Khartoum

The United States Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello is embarking on an official visit to East Africa to proceed with ongoing efforts to end the conflicts in the country.

An official statement from the Office of the Spokesperson for the U.S Department of State indicates that Tom Perriello gets to travel to Nairobi in Kenya and later on Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in his itinerary which started on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Perriello is carrying on with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Sudan as well as engaging with Sudanese refugees and civilian leaders on restoring the path to an inclusive democratic future for Khartoum.

More than 15,000 people have reportedly been killed in Sudan since serious fighting began in April, 2024.

Building on diplomatic momentum forged during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s High-Level Week, the U.S Special Envoy for Sudan will meet with key officials, including those from the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). 

According to the Office of the Spokesperson, Perriello will also meet with Sudanese civil society and international Non-Government Organization (NGO) leaders focused on humanitarian support and protection of civilians.

The Special Envoy to Sudan will continue efforts to advance an inclusive process for the country’s transition to civilian governance. 

These consultations will also inform our ongoing diplomatic efforts to press the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to agree to humanitarian pauses leading to a comprehensive cessation of hostilities, and to expand humanitarian access.

The United States has affirmed to be standing with the Sudanese people and their aspirations for peace, freedom, and justice. 

“We call for the SAF and RSF to end the violence, to remove all barriers to addressing humanitarian needs, famine conditions, and gender-based violence, and to respect the laws of war with regards to civilian protection,” says the U.S statement.

War reportedly broke out in Sudan in April 2023, starting at the capital City of Khartoum.

The fighting was between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti’.

Until now peace remains as elusive in Sudan as what started as a power struggle between rival warlords has escalated into a dead nationwide battle which has pulled in several rebel forces, ethnic militias, and international actors.