At least 12 countries are providing military support to rival forces in Sudan, contributing to an escalation of the country’s conflict, US Senior Adviser on Africa and Asia Massad Boulos has said.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC’s Focus on Africa, reported on September 3, 2026, Mr Boulos said external military assistance to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had increased significantly in recent weeks and months.
“There are probably at least 12 countries that are, in one way or the other, providing military support,” he said, describing the development as “very sad” and calling for an immediate halt. Mr Boulos, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, declined to identify the countries allegedly involved but said their identities were widely known within the international community.
He said the growing flow of weapons underscored the need for a nationwide arms embargo on Sudan, as the existing United Nations embargo applies only to the western Darfur region. According to him, Washington has submitted a proposed resolution to the UN Security Council seeking to extend the arms embargo across the entire country.
The Security Council is expected to vote in September 2026 on the renewal of the Sudan sanctions regime before it expires on September 12, while the mandate of the Panel of Experts supporting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee is due to expire on October 12.
Mr Boulos also said the United States had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of supplying weapons and facilitating the recruitment of mercenaries and foreign fighters for the conflict.