US urges humanitarian truce in Sudan, calls for halt to weapons flows
U.S. deputy envoy to the United Nations Jeff Bartos demanded an immediate humanitarian truce in Sudan on Friday, urging the warring parties to halt fighting and calling on the Security Council to expand its arms embargo as millions of civilians face escalating hunger, mass displacement, and the imminent threat of famine.
- World
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 05:28 AM 17 October 2026
US deputy envoy to the UN Jeff Bartos on Friday called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Sudan, urging the warring parties to halt the fighting as civilians continue to face killings, hunger, deteriorating health conditions and the growing threat of famine.
"Every day that this conflict persists is unacceptable," Bartos told a Security Council meeting on Sudan.
He warned that civilians were being killed not only by weapons and mercenaries entering the country but also by hunger and health crises worsened by the fighting.
"We need a humanitarian truce. Let me repeat that: we need a humanitarian truce."
Bartos said a humanitarian truce would help alleviate the persistent suffering of the Sudanese people, adding that Washington would continue working with the parties to secure such an arrangement.
He also called on the council to support a political process aimed at achieving a comprehensive settlement and preserving a unified Sudan with functioning state institutions accountable to its people.
Any national political dialogue, he stressed, must be owned and led by the Sudanese people and remain free from interference by violent extremist groups linked to internationally designated terrorist organizations, as well as individuals responsible for atrocities against the population.
Bartos further urged the council to take concrete action to stop the continued flow of weapons into Sudan, saying such efforts were necessary to empower the Sudanese people and facilitate a transition to a civilian-led government.
"The United States stands ready to work with each member of this council to support the quintet's efforts to advance an inclusive civilian political process and reinforce efforts to achieve a humanitarian truce and unhindered humanitarian access, which will ultimately save lives and prevent further bloodshed," he said.
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and displacing millions of others.