Trump announces US making new effort to end war in Sudan, citing MBS request
He said he acted within "30 minutes" after the Saudi crown prince asked.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. would immediately start a new effort to end the conflict in Sudan, saying he was acting at the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who met with him at the White House on Tuesday.
"His Majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan. It was not on my charts to be involved in that," Trump said during remarks at a U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center where MBS, as he's known, was present.
Sudan has been engaged in a violent civil war since 2023. The war broke out between the nation's army, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A group of nations, led by the U.S., put forward a truce that the RSF agreed to in early November. Around that time, Sudan's ambassador to the United States Mohamed Abdalla Idris, said that they "appreciate the American proposals, and the government is studying it."
Trump's announcement Wednesday signals that his administration, and possibly even the president personally, would make a renewed effort at ending the conflict.
"I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control. But I just see how important that is to you and to a lot of your friends in the room, Sudan and we're going to start working in Sudan," Trump added.
Trump recounted how the crown prince explained the conflict to him and encouraged him to get involved.
"But working with the crown prince, was amazing because he mentioned Sudan yesterday, and he said, ‘sir, you're talking about a lot of wars, but there's a place on Earth called Sudan,’ and it's horrible what's happening." Trump said MBS told him.
"And I viewed it as being just sort of a freelance, no government, no this, no that. And [bin Salman] explained the whole culture and the whole history, and it was very interesting to hear, really amazing actually, to hear and we've already started working on that," Trump added.
Trump later posted on social media that there are "tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan." Officials at the United Nations and many aid organizations have sounded the alarm about staggering hunger in Sudan and about alleged war crimes in some areas.
"It has become the most violent place on Earth and, likewise, the single biggest Humanitarian Crisis. Food, doctors, and everything else are desperately needed," Trump added in the post.
Trump, who has given himself the moniker of "peacemaker," suggested how he and his administration would made a renewed multi-nation push to end the war.
"It is considered a Great Civilization and Culture, unfortunately gone bad, but one that can be fixed with the cooperation and coordination of Countries, including those in the Region of tremendous Wealth, who want this to happen. We will work with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to get these atrocities to end, while at the same time stabilizing Sudan," Trump said in the social media post.
ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this report.
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