US Envoy Condemns Sudan Air Strikes Inside Chad Amid Growing Regional Tensions

Sudan’s military forces (SAF) carried out air strikes against a convoy in Chad’s eastern Ennedi region, prompting a swift response from Massad Boulos, the United States’ Africa envoy under former President Donald Trump. Boulos denounced the attacks as a breach of Chad’s sovereignty and called for an immediate humanitarian truce, protection of civilians, and unhindered aid access. He urged the United Nations Security Council to tighten the existing arms embargo and sanctions regime against the warring parties.

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The United Nations has reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) routes weapons shipments to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through Chad, linking the Gulf state to the three-year-long Sudan conflict. Sudan’s ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Abdulla Idris, has publicly rejected any peace proposal that includes the UAE as a mediator, stating that “the United Arab Emirates is a party to the conflict, so it cannot play both roles – become a party, and then become a mediator, no.”

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Boulos announced that the United States had prepared a comprehensive peace plan for Sudan, built on five pillars: humanitarian relief, civilian protection and return, a permanent ceasefire, a political transition toward a civilian-led government, and post-conflict reconstruction funded by an international mechanism. The draft, intended for unveiling in mid-February, was said to have been coordinated with the Quad—comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt—and with partners such as the United Kingdom, Norway, and Egypt. As of the latest statements, the text has not been released and the obstacles to implementation remain unspecified.

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Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert and former State Department official, questioned the envoy’s focus, asking why Boulos had not condemned Chad’s role in allowing its territory to be used for arming the RSF over several years.

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• “The United States condemns the SAF’s recent air strikes inside Chad,” — Massad Boulos

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• “The violence must stop in Sudan and beyond. There is no military solution to this conflict—and absolutely no justification for expanding the violence beyond Sudan’s borders.” — Massad Boulos

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• “The United Arab Emirates is a party to the conflict, so it cannot play both roles - become a party, and then become a mediator, no.” — Diplomacy The SAF

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• “We've been working on this comprehensive peace plan for at least three months now that should be acceptable to both sides,” — Massad Boulos

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