Rep. Sara Jacobs Calls Out Trump Administration For Failing to Prioritize Sudan
Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, today called out the Trump Administration for failing to prioritize Sudan and helping to bring an end to the war and genocide in Sudan.
Watch Rep. Sara Jacobs’ Opening Remarks Here
Rep. Sara Jacobs said:
“Thank you, Chairman Smith, and thank you to all of our witnesses joining us today to testify and bring attention to the ongoing catastrophe in Sudan. Last month marked two years since the outbreak of war in Sudan. It is now the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Nearly 25 million people – half of Sudan’s population – are facing acute hunger, and more than half a million people are facing famine. More than 13 million Sudanese have been displaced from their homes since the conflict began, including nearly four million people forced to flee across Sudan’s borders as refugees. I have seen this suffering firsthand when I traveled to Chad and met with Sudanese refugees last year.
“And let’s be clear: this is a war of choice. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and allied militias have waged this war, committing war crimes and holding the Sudanese people captive for their own selfish interests. And their external backers, particularly the United Arab Emirates with their support to the RSF, in addition to Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia, have turned this war into a regional proxy war by supporting and arming either side, risking further regional destabilization.
“But despite this, the Trump Administration is nowhere to be found. In fact, the Administration’s actions have only worsened the suffering of the Sudanese people. The Trump Administration’s sham “foreign assistance review” was really just a pretext to end most foreign assistance – like food aid, disaster relief, global health programs, development and economic aid, and more. In Sudan, it’s meant cancelling millions of dollars in U.S.-funded life-saving aid. For instance, before it was illegally dismantled, USAID was supporting the heroic efforts of the Sudanese Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) to open community kitchens and provide basic meals to Sudanese civilians throughout the country. Following the massive cuts to U.S. foreign assistance, which included USAID support to the ERRs, more than 80% of the roughly 1500 community kitchens across Sudan have been forced to close their doors – cutting off vulnerable Sudanese civilians from life-saving food assistance.
“And the Administration hasn’t stopped there. Yesterday, they announced over $87 million worth of cancelled humanitarian programs, including $30 million for emergency nutrition, water, and food aid in Darfur. The SAF and the RSF continue to commit atrocities against the Sudanese people, and the people of Darfur are facing a second genocide in 20 years at the hands of the RSF. Yet despite the clear need for the United States to play an active role in negotiations to end this brutal conflict, the Trump Administration has failed to dedicate the resources necessary to do so.
“More than four months into President Trump’s term, the Administration has still failed to nominate an Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs at the State Department, an NSC Senior Director for Africa, or a Special Envoy for Sudan – a position the Administration is required by law to fill. And just yesterday, during Secretary Rubio’s testimony, he actually refused to say the word genocide and reaffirm his previous statements that the RSF is in fact committing a genocide.
“These actions - or lack thereof - show that Sudan is not a priority for the Trump Administration. And while the Administration ignores the conflict and its human consequences, it chooses instead to provide weapons to the UAE – a country that is arming the RSF, fueling the war and facilitating a genocide in Darfur. There is widespread and credible reporting that the UAE continues to funnel arms to the RSF, even though the UAE continues to deny this publicly. But instead of pressuring the UAE to stop arming the RSF forces currently carrying out a genocide, the Trump Administration has chosen to blow through a Congressional hold by Ranking Member Meeks and proceed with arms sales worth more than $1 billion.
“Just as I did under the Biden Administration, I believe that the United States needs to use its significant leverage with the UAE to pressure them to finally end their support to the RSF. That is why I, along with Ranking Member Meeks, introduced Joint Resolutions of Disapproval last week to block the Administration’s arms sales to the UAE. If the United States wanted to, we could take tangible actions and make sensible policy decisions that would help bring an end to the war in Sudan and a sustainable peace agreement that ends military rule, establishes a civilian government, and provides a clear roadmap to democratic elections. Instead, this Administration seems to be ignoring the problem and selling weapons that are fueling genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing.
“The Sudanese people have suffered enough. It is time for the United States and the international community to step up and focus on bringing an end to this war so that the Sudanese people can finally rebuild their country. Thank you, Chairman Smith, and with that, I yield back.”
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