Sudan: Meeks Reintroduces Comprehensive Sudan Bill with Jacobs

Washington, DC — Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, reintroduced comprehensive legislation to address the ongoing crisis in Sudan. Additionally, Ranking Member Meeks announced he will continue to hold all major U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), given its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who the United States determined committed genocide.

“We cannot allow the conflict in Sudan –the world’s largest humanitarian crisis – to be forgotten. Our legislation holds perpetrators of the horrific violence in Sudan accountable, mandates a comprehensive U.S. government strategy on protecting civilians and achieving a sustainable peace, and bans major U.S. arms sales to any country supplying weapons to either the RSF or SAF.

“Additionally, as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and in line with the provisions in this legislation, I will continue holding all major U.S. arms sales going to the UAE which, based on credible reporting, continues to arm the RSF. With over half of Sudan’s population experiencing acute food insecurity, it is also critical that U.S. humanitarian support resume; the Trump administration’s disastrous elimination of U.S. foreign aid has needlessly exacerbated the suffering of the Sudanese people. Ending this conflict is in the world’s interest,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

The U.S. Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act:

Requires sanctions against those who perpetrate or enable genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity, block humanitarian aid, or violate the United Nations arms embargo in Sudan; Requires a new U.S. strategy to support the protection of civilians, delivery of humanitarian assistance, inclusion of civil society, and progress towards a sustainable peace in Sudan; Bolsters the position of U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan; Authorizes U.S. assistance for a United Nations, African Union, or other multinational force to help protect civilians, and calls for additional civilian protection options; Supports the meaningful participation of Sudanese women and youth in conflict resolution and planning for humanitarian relief; Prohibits the sale of major U.S. defense equipment to countries fueling the conflict and continued violence by supporting the RSF or SAF; Requires a report and assessment on the extent to which any country that receives U.S. security assistance is interfering with the delivery of humanitarian aid in Sudan and; Requires a comprehensive interagency report on any U.S.-made weapons used in Sudan. Full text of the legislation can be found here.

Additional background: The conflict in Sudan has raged unabated since April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the United Nations, over 14 million Sudanese are displaced from their homes, either as internally displaced persons or as refugees seeking safety in other countries. More than half of Sudan’s population face acute food insecurity. Researchers and U.S. government officials believe the number of Sudanese who have died due to the brutal conflict could be at least 150,000, with an estimated 61,000 deaths in Khartoum state alone. Civilians are in grave danger every day, including from rampant sexual and gender-based violence. Investigative reporting, corroborated by U.S. government reporting, has contributed to mounting evidence of external actors enabling this conflict through armed support.

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