Massad Boulos On The Record With Hadley Gamble

Senior US envoy Massad Boulos has called on all parties to come to the table to end the Sudan civil war, as the civilian death toll spirals.

In an interview in Abu Dhabi, the senior envoy for Arab and African Affairs warned that the conflict could not be allowed to drag on.

“It’s the world’s biggest humanitarian catastrophe, and this must end. This must end quickly,” he told On The Record, broadcast by Sky News Arabia and The National.

Mr Boulos, who is pushing for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, struck an optimistic note that a breakthrough was close, with neighbours and major powers all working towards a result soon.

“Besides the Quad - which is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt and the US - other countries are helping, including Turkey, and Qatar, and the UK and Norway and others,” he said.

In addition to finding a political solution, the humanitarian crisis must be at the forefront, he said. At least 150,000 people have died and 12 million have been displaced since 2023.

The country has been split into two, with the army (SAF) controlling Khartoum and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) holding vast swathes of the south-west.

“On the humanitarian side, we’re in the process of organising a pledging conference, which will be held very soon, in the coming couple of weeks. We’re trying to establish a fund and raise some considerable amounts that can be used directly towards the humanitarian crisis that we’re seeing today, especially in El Fasher, but in many other cities.”

He said the warring parties and their backers must find a political solution.

“There are two sides to this conflict, and there are different countries supporting each side, and we need - we need - that political goodwill, and we need those relationships to be able to reach a successful conclusion to these ongoing talks.”

Iran protests

Mr Boulos is visiting the Middle East as the Iranian regime faces protests on the streets over worsening living conditions and economic mismanagement.

The shopkeeping classes, a conservative group once broadly supportive of the regime, have rallied against the government after the rial lost 40 per cent of its value in three months. Meanwhile, students have taken to the streets to protest against the cost of living and restrictions of personal freedoms.

At least 38 people have died in the past week, including from live gunfire by the security forces. On Thursday night, the regime restricted internet access to much of the country in an apparent attempt to end co-ordination of protests.

Mr Boulos reiterated Trump’s warning that the Iranian regime would be crossing a “red line” if it continues to fire on and kill civilian protesters.

“The President gave a clear warning. It’s a red line. The killing of civilians that are exercising the right of free speech and demonstrating in the street is a red line to President Trump, and he gave a clear, clear warning to that effect.”

Shaky Gaza ceasefire

With regards to Gaza, the October ceasefire remains in a state of limbo, with repeated strikes by Israel continuing - allegedly on Hamas targets, but with many civilian casualties - while food and aid have only trickled through. Dozens of global NGOs have been stopped from working in the strip, and the peace plan remains stranded between phase one and two.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration remains wholly supportive of Israel.

“The President has expressed his optimism and definitely his determination to see this through,” Mr Boulos said.

“He clearly announced that we want to move and progress from phase one to phase two, and I think we’re, we’re ready to do that.

“The President has put in a lot of effort on this, and he has, he has a huge and and very, very effective team, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and many others.

“The Gaza peace accord is, was, a historic achievement, not just for the United States and for President Trump, but for the world.

“And this is not only about Gaza, it’s about the Middle East. So you now have, you have peace in the Middle East, because the 20-point plan, it’s quite a comprehensive roadmap towards the future, not just the immediate term, but also towards the future.”