[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6226910,"mediaKeyId","3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952","parentId",3500598,"title","Lawmakers Press for High-Level U.S. Envoy, Consider Blocking UAE Arms Sales to Curb Sudan Violence","audioSeconds",3381,"startMs",1388000,"endMs",4769000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952&start=1388&end=4769","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952/thumbnail_1388000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226910/Lawmakers-Press-for-High-Level-US-Envoy-Consider-Blocking-UAE-Arms-Sales-to-Curb-Sudan-Violence","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226910-3533b7f602b7fdcbe950f15c6f9b6b5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434513&Signature=Ll1L5Xolz10OGwPlVcMvX9MH9FvBw3R-9Z1ZMHoBNrFi2tlrrZ6ScsU5G-a1uUfXKDgU34Cq3sanoT3zr~H06rLFS5OlESPlWD6zpHyOvbSaNo2KvBnKdDHBAbiToEtLcu5rJbzC38atT7ZkaBstYo2V1OLRTMBjAEjs5nJCSIXWwi2RUo8yJQ8mPPDIrg9OL6nAqN6ESDNSpHHBJ1iv93QHIVpNnNADsTKgbxi-0LVXaTj-g9L-owgEf4Ir9KR6swYPsHk9i8ORFXcoL7Q3lv~HRXzLmROsRsu~0TV7HlWHDDaHWF7U8Nzk5bHp-qOPx-1QYxz5TOxvEG~ktReu6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs","date","2025-05-25T00:31:57.38Z","article","Members of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and witnesses urged stronger U.S. diplomatic engagement on Sudan, including appointment of a high-level special envoy with direct access to the president. Chairman Smith and witnesses described previous successful envoy-led diplomacy in Sudan’s past and emphasized that such an envoy must have “gravitas” and direct White House access to be effective.

Ranking Member Jacobs and other members criticized the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign assistance and said the administration had delayed or declined decisive action on sanctions targeting Sudanese actors. Jacobs said she and others had introduced joint resolutions of disapproval to block proposed arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, asserting that U.S. weapons and continued UAE support to the RSF risk fueling atrocities.

Witnesses advised a pragmatic U.S. approach: active diplomacy to de-escalate regional patronage networks; employing U.S. leverage in bilateral relationships (including arms sales) to press allies such as the UAE to suspend support for belligerents; and establishing predictable humanitarian funding. Cameron Hudson recommended engaging regional states and acknowledged the U.S. has an existing Middle East envoy apparatus that could be tasked to prioritize Sudan-region deconfliction.

Committee members discussed potential legislative options — joint resolutions of disapproval to block arms sales and bills to condition or halt transfers until external actors stop supporting armed groups — but the hearing did not include any formal vote. Members asked witnesses about the likely diplomatic effectiveness of such measures and the balance between a punitive approach and a realistic, leverage-based engagement strategy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","A Dire Crisis in Sudan: A Global Call to Action","oneSentenceSummary","At a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing, members and witnesses recommended a U.S. high-level envoy with direct White House access and discussed joint resolutions aimed at blocking proposed U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates while that country is accused of supplying the RSF.","taxTitle","Foreign Affairs: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1826,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6226915,"Panel Debates Accountability Options for Sudan; ICC Indictments and Local Trials Discussed",4953,647000,5600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952&start=647&end=5600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952/thumbnail_647000.jpg","/articles/6226915/Panel-Debates-Accountability-Options-for-Sudan-ICC-Indictments-and-Local-Trials-Discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226915-90e5720928828537fce4f7480fe24d49/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434513&Signature=kBoeTfgbJqgGxjvDu6uECoIYuuX5WrYLL4qxEIshNZSC6~JqUJ09UXUibLmW2xnX7e4Rw-5Bzh8c9UmmN3RQibEGtKQRs7N50k66jw4F5-3GAHjf0MdHZ9XHpwXBi77rJ5JRHhGMghXY2b0TcwkqfOktz9NAnDrCWGAaUc6Idg-rWhmrizOHrnqO8zd78lu8~RJcAmzWLUffoIOa9VAY3VA6SZT6hlHbfCzf9492bdnsGDo~T5iWXTt3njaATXkFpCTO3nMRs5gGrAQd823TzGLZ-b0yNqssDHFlXvEQYiKrQdSZUn5j4rmIKZoyhmTNAIVvyjYfDYPuaIvreTWfdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman Smith reminded the committee of prior U.S. actions on Darfur and the International Criminal Court indictments against former President Omar al-Bashir, noting the ICC charged Bashir in February 2009 and again in February 2010 for crimes including genocide.

Witnesses said accountability is essential but contested whether local courts or the ICC are practical mechanisms while fighting continues. Cameron Hudson and other witnesses said domestic courts are currently nonfunctional in many parts of Sudan and that some senior figures remain politically useful to current powerholders. Isaacson and other witnesses told the committee that turning Bashir over to the ICC would signal a commitment to accountability, but acknowledged political constraints: General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and other actors have complex incentives and alliances that make transfers unlikely at present.

Members and witnesses noted prior U.S. laws intended to address mass atrocities in Sudan, including the transcript references to a 2006 law that declared the slaughter in Darfur was genocide and earlier statutes such as the Sudan Peace Act of 2001 and the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004. No new indictment, transfer, or judicial action occurred during the hearing; members discussed policy tools Congress could use to press for accountability, including documentation, support for hybrid or international tribunals, and sanctions targeting those who facilitate or profit from abuses.","Witnesses and members discussed international and domestic accountability for atrocities in Sudan, including International Criminal Court indictments, past U.S. legislation on Darfur, and the practical limits of local trials during ongoing conflict.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6226918,"House Panel Highlights UAE, Regional States and Gold Trade as Fuel for Sudan’s War",4074,2303000,6377000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952&start=2303&end=6377","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952/thumbnail_2303000.jpg","/articles/6226918/House-Panel-Highlights-UAE-Regional-States-and-Gold-Trade-as-Fuel-for-Sudans-War","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226918-ae65286018534aefa1b4e78387631684/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434513&Signature=EGZWxwTT3bJQ-n55D7e9BPACjSXf8I2J4v18IS9GK6G0~JPnaOhu6H~UcYsOOCtV5L9ZHr2q5cc78RS3VqtnwVsvyfTRgTIzLhd85lmMt2HieJrBIdNcJbK1dOGXHOoLUTQFPFEwSoZMeyukMgrkDUZnnHq6fpGAScGRxb9PQEzXTC7kjRJw2zX7f-izT94i3A~rUIx67NEdMOhk4i0Y9-jQ09XChWk6A2gT4uwz7m3nSWJujM8d7aCKHemMy1GwgGOcuflMpOPsNVVJxVGrqOAPlLTdbmEQT7qttDOA3BvPIBJt-h-Tjv5gttw6cXtI5oUdKAspnbn4GPy-uy7E6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cameron Hudson, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that the Sudan conflict “has fully transformed into a battle for influence among a host of local and regional actors” and pointed to drone strikes, long-range aerial operations, and foreign-supplied weapons.

Multiple witnesses singled out the United Arab Emirates as a major external actor that has supplied weapons and other support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Testimony and questioning in the hearing cited reporting and flight-tracker evidence of arms and material transits through regional hubs and asserted that those flows have amplified the war’s lethality and reach. Hudson told lawmakers there is “a UN arms embargo that exists, that is nearly 20 years old, on weapons transfers into Darfur,” and he said available reporting suggests violations of those restrictions.

Witnesses also detailed how conflict revenues, particularly gold, have financed the fighting. Hudson and other witnesses cited official export data and field reporting indicating large increases in Sudan’s gold exports since the war began and described supply chains that funnel gold through regional intermediaries to markets such as Dubai. Ken Isaacs said that cutting the RSF’s access to gold routes — including through the UAE — would be crucial to reducing their capacity to buy weapons.

Members questioned whether the United States should continue arms sales to partners such as the UAE while that country is reported to be supporting an armed group implicated in mass atrocities. Witnesses advised a combination of diplomatic pressure on regional actors, targeted sanctions, tracking and tracing of weapons where possible, and a broad approach that addresses both outside political support and internal revenue streams.

Testimony stressed the regionalized nature of the conflict: witness statements and committee discussion raised roles for Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Chad, Kenya and others as providers of tactical support, transit, or commercial opportunity tied to the war. The witnesses recommended that U.S. diplomacy engage these actors in a de-escalatory dialogue and use leverage — including arms sales and bilateral relationships — to encourage a halt to military support to belligerents.

No formal committee vote or binding action on arms transfers or sanctions was taken during the hearing; several members discussed pending or recently introduced joint resolutions of disapproval to block proposed U.S. arms sales to the UAE.","Witnesses told the House subcommittee that outside actors — notably the United Arab Emirates, regional states, and foreign arms flows — have transformed Sudan’s war into a regionalized conflict and that gold exports are financing armed groups.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6226923,"Witnesses Tell House Panel Sudan Near Collapse as Famine, Displacement Worsen",5916,1040000,6956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952&start=1040&end=6956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3500598-9f1288983601979dce880a520db85952/thumbnail_1040000.jpg","/articles/6226923/Witnesses-Tell-House-Panel-Sudan-Near-Collapse-as-Famine-Displacement-Worsen","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226923-9037a15692f466da41e1eba52e91fcba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434513&Signature=KmFcvdMZQ~iqz0CFfSRDk8BMBrk0tGY58WMItOi5EXxGwQ61hjGuT~NzDrIgXpyGOvfWxU9I3c2kdWtmXTwPf0F1kg-fDczZLjzNj6MKNqalbIqjUwTklSOVu7NZQhal7oX0XlFvCQLOQ4ID83Pog40j0HyORtb0SKRW4qG9fmJMUqFvInAwuHU71-4osalqXvNvFZq0OAx2iiwAFAKFF4mfDhHsTOTec6he7juH~MJXThS7qO6GmAqr53k1NDZfDSWQje9cDhE3RUiNCSt9H4~gVoOKkXYdLChWVNQGbgMRCLAVFcFrP1PaF9A1A96HOSeciYLti~Sf-kxiZO5ZkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan's Purse, told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that “Sudan is in a crisis. Right now, it is near collapse on all levels, political, security, economic, social, humanitarian, health, food security, and infrastructure.”

Isaacs and other witnesses said the war that began in 2023 between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has produced a humanitarian catastrophe. Witnesses gave updated figures during the hearing: about 24,600,000 people are highly food insecure; more than 13,000,000 have been displaced internally and roughly 4,000,000 have fled across borders as refugees; and portions of the country meet IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) phase 5 criteria for famine. Cameron Hudson, senior fellow for the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described shifting battle lines and expanded use of drones and advanced weapons that are degrading civilian infrastructure and access.

Witnesses emphasized that these are largely man-made conditions. Isaacs said the famine is “totally a man made failure,” citing interrupted harvests, looting, and restrictions on humanitarian movement. Testimony and questioning cited humanitarian access problems including delays in permits, checkpoints, and deference by some international bodies to de facto authorities, which witnesses argued has restricted assistance to those in need.

Members pressed witnesses on the immediate consequences of reduced U.S. and international funding. Ranking Member Jacobs said cuts to U.S. foreign assistance forced “more than 80% of the roughly 1,500 community kitchens across Sudan” to close; witnesses confirmed recent U.S. cancellations totaling roughly $87,000,000 in humanitarian programs, including about $30,000,000 for emergency nutrition, water and food aid in Darfur. Witnesses warned that many of the volunteer-run “emergency response rooms” and local mutual-aid kitchens that provide life-saving food and services operate on “little and often” funding and are at risk if predictable financing is not restored.

Several witnesses described on-the-ground medical responses delivered by nongovernmental groups. Isaacs described a Samaritan’s Purse field hospital in Port Sudan that served roughly 9,149 patients and delivered 562 babies during an 87-day mission. Witnesses said private and NGO-run operations have filled gaps where state services have collapsed but stressed that humanitarian assistance alone cannot end the crisis: “The war must stop,” Isaacs said.

Committee members and witnesses recommended sustained, predictable humanitarian funding and diplomatic steps to secure and protect aid corridors. They also flagged the growing complexity of the response as drones and long-range strikes expand the geographic reach of conflict, making previously safe areas vulnerable. Members signaled intent to pursue legislative and diplomatic measures to increase U.S. engagement and funding.

Less immediate details noted during the hearing included calls for support to youth programming and nonpartisan media in Sudan, and proposals to explore mechanisms to capture conflict-era revenues (for example, from gold) into future reconstruction funds. No formal committee action or vote was taken during the hearing.","Experts told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that Sudan is near systemic collapse, with famine declared in locations, millions displaced, and life-saving aid severely reduced after U.S. aid cuts and access constraints.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers Press for High-Level U.S. Envoy, Consider Blocking UAE Arms Sales to Curb Sudan Violence

Panel Debates Accountability Options for Sudan; ICC Indictments and Local Trials Discussed

House Panel Highlights UAE, Regional States and Gold Trade as Fuel for Sudan’s War

Witnesses Tell House Panel Sudan Near Collapse as Famine, Displacement Worsen