The U.S. State Department posted on 12 September 2025 a "Joint Statement on Restoring Peace and Security in Sudan."
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United States called on all disputing parties in Sudan to accept a humanitarian three-month truce followed immediately by a permanent cease fire. They added that an end to external military support is essential to ending the conflict.
President Biden issued a statement on 22 April 2023 on the "Situation in Sudan" in which he announced the evacuation of U.S. government personnel from Khartoum by the U.S. military. He thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance and announced the United States is "temporarily suspending operations" at the embassy in Khartoum. He called on the belligerent parties in Sudan to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
The Washington Post published on 23 April 2023 an article titled "Special Forces Swiftly Evacuate US Embassy Staff from Sudan" by Matthew Lee, Tara Copp, and Aamer Madhani.
About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters positioned in Djibouti airlifted about 70 American employees from a landing zone at the embassy compound in Khartoum to a location in Ethiopia, which also provided overflight and refueling support.
The Washington Post published on 23 April 2023 an article titled "Embassies Rush to Evacuate in Sudan's Chaos, But Thousands of Foreigners Remain" by John Hudson and Katharine Houreld.
The article describes the efforts of other embassies in Khartoum to evacuate their nationals, noting that most foreign nationals remain in the country. While the United States does not plan to conduct additional air evacuations of U.S. nationals, it is considering the use of surveillance and reconnaissance to provide information on potentially safe land routes out of Khartoum.
The Washington Post published on 22 April 2023 an article titled "U.S. Evacuates Embassy Personnel and Families from Sudan, Biden Says" by Claire Parker, Katharine Houreld, Ellen Francis, John Hudson, and Shane Harris.
This article provides additional background on the evacuation of US embassy staff from Khartoum, adding that it is not safe to undertake a US government -coordinated evacuation of private citizens scattered throughout Khartoum.
Comment: The US embassy is located on a large compound in the Soba district on the east side of Khartoum near the Blue Nile River. It is a safer location than many parts of Khartoum from which to conduct an evacuation of this kind.
CNN published on 18 April 2023 an article titled "US State Department Establishes Special Taskforce to Deal with Sudan Crisis" by Jennifer Hansler.
The U.S. Department of State has established a Sudan Military Conflict Task Force to oversee developments related to Sudan as law and order breaks down in the country.
The Washington Post published on 18 April 2023 an article titled "Sudan Rivals Signal Cease-Fire after U.S. Convoy, Aid Workers Attacked" by Katharine Houreld, Ellen Francis and John Hudson.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said aid workers and a U.S. diplomatic convoy came under attack in Sudan. A 24-hour cease fire reportedly will go into effect Tuesday evening.
Axios published on 18 April 2023 an article titled "US Convoy Attacked in Sudan, Blinken Says" by Barak Ravid.
This more detailed account of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic convoy indicated it was conducted by the Rapid Support Forces.
Six countries (US, Somalia, Qatar, Turkey, UK, and UAE) issued a "Joint Statement on Somalia" on 28 February 2023 expressing concern about the ongoing conflict in and around Lascanood in Somaliland. They called on all parties to accept a ceasefire.
The South China Morning Post published on 12 January 2023 an article titled "China Pledges Support for Reconstruction Efforts in War-Torn Ethiopia" by Jevans Nyabiage.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang began his Africa tour with a stop in Ethiopia where he commented that China has provided food, vaccines, and humanitarian aid to war torn areas of Ethiopia and will engage actively in rebuilding conflict-affected areas.
Comment: While China has been a major source of loans for Ethiopia this century, it has provided minimal humanitarian assistance in the past or during the two year civil war. The United States has provided on a grant basis most of the humanitarian aid. Nor did the foreign minister provide any details on the nature of China's assistance for rebuilding conflict-affected areas.
The International Crisis Group recently posted a 5 minute video titled "What Led Ethiopia and Tigray to Agree to a Cease Fire?" with Will Davison.
Davison comments on the reasons why Tigray Defense Forces agreed to accept a cease fire with central government forces.
Just Security published on 23 November 2022 a commentary titled "The Ethiopia-Tigray Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the Question of Accountability for International Crimes" by Owiso Owiso, an international lawyer.
The author argues that an African Union tribunal is the most viable option for criminal accountability for the international crimes committed in the Tigray conflict. It is imperative that the AU create a process for establishing a criminal accountability mechanism for crimes committed during the conflict.
The Sudan Tribune published on 23 November 2022 an article titled "U.S. Urges Speedy Implementation of Ethiopian Peace Deal" by Tesfa-Alem Tekle.
In a telephone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need for a speedy implementation of the peace agreement with the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
The Washington Post Monkey Cage published on 18 November 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Peace May Depend on Post-Conflict Plans for Tigray Soldiers" by Sally Sharif, Simon Fraser University.
Disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating (DDR) Tigrayan soldiers into Ethiopian society will be one of the most important and challenging factors facing the peace process. The DDR program is unlikely to succeed without technical support and funding from international sources.
Responsible Statecraft published on 16 November 2022 a commentary titled "Facing Famine, Tigray Concedes to Ethiopian Government, and Abiy" by Alex de Waal.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front agreed to dismantle the regional government of Tigray and to disarm the Tigray Defense Forces in return for ending the fighting, receiving humanitarian aid, and removing of "foreign forces" (understood to mean Eritrean troops) from Tigray Region. The prospect of famine and starvation in Tigray Region drove this decision.
Le Monde published on 15 November 2022 an article titled "Eritrea's Shadow Looms over Ethiopian Peace Process" by Noe Hochet-Bodin.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is waiting for security guarantees from Addis Ababa that Eritrean forces are leaving Tigray Region. TPLF disarmament of heavy weapons will be done concurrently with the withdrawal of foreign forces from the region. The challenge for Abiy Ahmed is to persuade Isaias Afwerki to respect the cease fire and remove his troops from Tigray Region.
The Associated Press published on 15 November 2022 an article titled "ICRC: Humanitarian Convoy Arrives in Ethiopia's Tigray."
A truck convoy has delivered 40 tons of medical supplies, medicine, and surgical equipment to Tigray Region.
Tigrai Press interviewed me on 11 November 2022 on the Ethiopian peace agreement. The 52-minute conversation moderated by Bisrat Kebede and titled "The Negotiations and America's Role" covered all aspects of the peace agreement.
Reuters published on 11 November 2022 an article titled "Ethiopia Says Tigray Aid Allowed, Agencies Say Still No Access" by Tommy Wilkes and Ayenat Mersei.
Three officials at international aid agencies said that despite the truce, their convoys were still waiting for permission from Ethiopian authorities to enter Tigray Region. Vulnerable Ethiopians in Amhara and Afar Regions also need emergency aid.
The Ethiopian Embassy in London published on 10 November 2022 a statement titled "The Peace Agreement Ending the Conflict in Northern Ethiopia."
Referring to the cessation of hostilities agreement as a "comprehensive peace deal," the statement highlights those parts of the agreement that are favorable to the central government. One important omission in the statement is any direct reference to Eritrean military forces in Ethiopia and what happens to them.
The New York Times published on 10 November 2022 a commentary titled "Biden Must Ensure Ethiopia Does Not Return to War" by Comfort Ero, president of the International Crisis Group.
If fighting in Ethiopia resumes, the carnage will be horrific. China and the US have significant influence in Ethiopia. China and Russia have opposed any action in the UN Security Council. Hence, it is up to the United States to play the key role in preventing a return to war in Ethiopia.
The Guardian published on 5 November 2022 an article titled "Race against Time for Sick Patients after Ethiopian Peace Deal" by Jason Burke and Lizzy Davies.
The article argues that it is imperative to remove the blockade on Tigray Region so that humanitarian and medical supplies can be delivered starting immediately.
The Somali Media Network posted on 6 November 2022 a 43-minute podcast with me as part of its "Weekly Focus on Horn of Africa" with Ismail Qodax.
The entire discussion dealt with the Ethiopian peace agreement signed in South Africa earlier this week and the challenges that it faces in the implementation stage, especially the role of Eritrean troops inside Ethiopia.
Samuel M. Gebru, a Tigrayan, organized an hour long webinar on 4 November 2022 titled "Understanding the Ethiopia-Tigray Peace Process" with Alex de Waal, World Peace Foundation, Susan Stigant, US Institute of Peace, and Joshua Meservey, Heritage Foundation.
Some of the highlights of their remarks include that there is no perfect peace agreement. The will to implement the agreement is more critical than the signing of the agreement. There will likely be violations. Some of the terms of the agreement appear to be unrealistic. Eritrea was not part of the peace process and its intentions are not known; Eritrean forces were continuing military activity as of today. The agreement requires both sides to take into account the "situation on the ground," which implies that Eritrean forces must leave Ethiopia. There was concern that all of the negotiators were male on both sides of the table. Going forward, it is imperative in include females in the process.
