Trending 
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the start of the new year could provide an opportunity to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan, calling on foreign powers to use their influence to help bring about a pause in the fighting.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Rubio said the United States was overwhelmingly focused on achieving a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons as quickly as possible.
He noted that the New Year period and upcoming holidays offered a key chance for both sides in the conflict to agree to a truce, stressing that Washington was pressing hard for progress.
Sudan has been left in ruins since fighting erupted between the army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.
The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, forced millions from their homes and triggered widespread hunger and human rights abuses.
Rubio said both sides had repeatedly broken commitments, expressing particular concern over fresh reports that humanitarian aid convoys had been attacked.
He described the situation as horrifying and atrocious, warning that the full scale of what has occurred would eventually become clear, with serious consequences for all those involved.
The United Arab Emirates has faced growing criticism over its alleged role in the conflict.
Amnesty International has accused the UAE of facilitating support for the RSF as the group carried out war crimes, including mass executions and sexual violence, in the flashpoint city of El-Fasher, which fell to the RSF in late October.
While Rubio confirmed that he has held repeated discussions with UAE officials about Sudan, he avoided naming specific countries.
He did, however, point out that the warring sides are dependent on weapons supplied from abroad, noting that such arms cannot arrive without external actors enabling and transporting them.
Rubio said the United States had engaged in what he described as appropriate conversations with all parties connected to the conflict and reiterated that any meaningful progress would require outside countries to apply their leverage.
The UAE has consistently denied allegations that it supports the RSF and remains a close US partner, including through its diplomatic ties with Israel.
