WASHINGTON – The United States said the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are unfit to govern Sudan, accusing both sides of failing to make serious commitments to an immediate humanitarian truce and warning that Washington would seek to raise the cost of continuing the war.

State Department spokesman Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said in a statement on Sept. 22, 2026, that neither the SAF nor the RSF, nor their respective leaders, represented legitimate constitutional governance in Sudan. He said both sides ruled through force of arms and that the conduct of their leaders had rendered them ineligible to govern.

Pigott said the United States had repeatedly urged both sides to accept a proposed humanitarian truce without preconditions and commit to an inclusive political dialogue leading to a transition to civilian government.

He accused the two sides of intensifying combat operations and drone strikes that have killed civilians, saying an immediate truce and civilian political process were essential steps toward a durable peace.

The statement represented a direct rejection of political legitimacy for both military camps as Washington increased pressure for an end to the conflict.

Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, after escalating tensions over the political transition and plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the army.

The conflict has displaced millions of people and severely disrupted health care, education, infrastructure and other essential services across the country.

The U.S. statement came a day after Al-Burhan published an article in Foreign Policy presenting his own vision for ending the war.

In the article, Al-Burhan described the government he leads as Sudan’s lawful authority and argued that the RSF should not be treated as an equal political or military actor. He proposed a ceasefire followed by a security system based on a single national army under civilian supervision, a Sudanese-led political settlement and internationally supervised elections.

The State Department statement did not refer directly to Al-Burhan’s article, but its assertion that neither the SAF nor the RSF and their leaders constituted legitimate constitutional governance stood in contrast to his claim that his government represented the lawful authority of the Sudanese state.

Pigott said President Donald Trump remained committed to ending the conflict, which Washington described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

He said the United States was ready to work with any serious partner for peace but would also seek to increase the cost of continued conflict for all belligerents and the networks sustaining the war.

The statement did not specify what additional measures Washington might take or provide a timetable for possible sanctions or other forms of pressure.

The position is consistent with an earlier argument by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz and presidential adviser Massad Boulos, who wrote that neither the SAF nor the RSF had a legitimate claim to govern Sudan after the war and called for an independent civilian political process.

The latest U.S. statement came amid wider diplomatic activity over Sudan, including recent talks involving Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Boulos on de-escalation and conditions for a political settlement.

Washington did not provide details of the proposed humanitarian truce, including its duration, monitoring arrangements or enforcement mechanism.