Rhino: Agencies – Musad Pauls, senior advisor to the U.S. president on Arab and African affairs, said Friday that Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has consistently rejected U.S. calls for a humanitarian truce that would pave the way for a permanent ceasefire and create the conditions for genuine dialogue between the parties.

In a briefing to the Security Council, Pauls added that the army commander and chairman of the Sovereign Council in Port Sudan has repeatedly rejected truce proposals, with his most recent rejection coming this Friday morning, when he rejected the latest version of the humanitarian truce draft sent to him. He went on to say, “Al-Burhan has closed the door on any political process that does not lead to the dismantling of the Rapid Support Forces.”

He continued, “Washington is watching the deterioration of the situation on the ground with grave concern,” warning of “real fears of further atrocities in Sudan similar to what we witnessed in El Fasher” as fighting escalates around El Obeid and Kordofan.

He emphasized that the Sudanese parties are waging an open war of attrition, and civilians alone are paying the price for this senseless conflict with bloodshed, displacement, and hunger.

He noted that the use of chemical weapons will not go unanswered, stressing, “We will impose new sanctions on the Sudanese parties involved due to the use of chemical weapons.”

He noted that more than 12 countries are providing direct military support to the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which fuels the war machine and prolongs the conflict.

He affirmed that the U.S. position is clear: “There is no military solution, nor can there be a settlement without genuine political will, and the upcoming sanctions are a message that the era of impunity is coming to an end.