The United States government has called for urgent measures to end the war in Sudan.

It says that the humanitarian crisis which trails the conflict has assumed a monumental level.

U.S. State Department Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, made this known during a digital news conference on Thursday.

The humanitarian crisis was triggered by the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its breakaway paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict erupted in April 2023 between former allies, who had jointly seized power in a 2021 coup.

Mr Perriello said the scale of the crisis in Sudan had not attracted the required global and media attention. He said the Sudanese people were now more unified and clear about ending the war. 

“This is an urgent situation where we are seeing signs of famine already across the country of Sudan. We have known about horrific atrocities, particularly against women and children, forced recruitment, even slavery in this conflict that must end,” the envoy said. 

Mr Perriello said the goal of the U.S. mission in Sudan was urgent peace, which was the same as the goal of Sudanese civilians and governments around the region.

Speaking on how the U.S. planned to coordinate with global and regional partners to advance peace efforts in Sudan, the official said that the U.S. had seen several important efforts across the region. 

The U.S. envoy said the many initiatives reflected the growing concerns across the region and a new sense of urgency for peace. He expressed dismay about reports of “horrific” maltreatment of women in Sudan since the beginning of the conflict.

Mr Perriello stressed that the Sudanese people were unified and clear in their desire to take their future back.

According to him, the desire of the Sudanese people is for the warring generals to meet and for the international and regional community to act as partners in peace.

(NAN)