Senators Coons, Risch introduce bipartisan legislation to achieve durable peace in Sudan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Preventing External Aggression and Conflict Escalation (PEACE) in Sudan Act of 2026. The PEACE in Sudan Act will help address the ongoing conflict in Sudan by expanding discretionary sanctions, bolstering diplomatic resources, and building a stronger international coalition. “The ongoing civil war in Sudan is the globe’s largest humanitarian crisis, and yet the world has spent too much time closing its eyes to three years of atrocities and death,” said Senator Coons . “This war will only end with a diplomatic solution, and every responsible nation must push all sides to the bargaining table to achieve a durable and lasting peace in Sudan. The United States stands with the people of Sudan and their decades-long fight for the peace and justice they deserve.” “The war in Sudan is a humanitarian catastrophe, a source of instability in Africa, and a threat to U.S. national security. We cannot allow Sudan to continue devolving into chaos, causing uncontrolled migration, human suffering, and serving as a haven for terrorists. This bill is a bipartisan effort to provide the Trump Administration with additional tools to raise the costs of this war for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their proxies to bring this war to an end,” said Chairman Risch . “The Sudanese people are enduring the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crisis, while the RSF, SAF and their external backers continue to pursue a zero-sum war that has no military solution,” said Ranking Member Shaheen . “The bipartisan PEACE in Sudan Act will give the United States additional tools to hold perpetrators, aiders and abettors accountable to punish those who are fueling this violence and bolster negotiations to end this war. I urge swift passage of this bill by the full Senate and call on the Administration to support and fund a robust humanitarian response to address the unbearable suffering of millions of Sudanese. The Sudanese people deserve peace and prosperity, and a stable Sudan would fundamentally benefit regional security, Red Sea commerce and U.S. national security.” “Prolonged armed conflict in Sudan has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians, and created a deteriorating regional security environment that offers a breeding ground for malign actors,” said Senator Cornyn . “I am proud to cosponsor this legislation that would sanction those providing weapons to armed groups, direct the State Department to submit a strategy for securing a ceasefire in Sudan, and advance efforts to bring about peace and stability in the region to strengthen U.S. national security.” The PEACE in Sudan Act would: Assess armed actors in Sudan to determine if they meet the criteria of Specially Designated Global Terrorists Update and expand discretionary sanctions Implement guardrails for non-lifesaving foreign assistance Update the Sudan Business advisory to provide U.S. businesses the risks of doing business in Sudan Extend the authorization for a U.S. special envoy for Sudan Increase information sharing to Congress regarding the Sudan conflict In 2023, the SAF and the RSF engaged in a zero-sum war for control of Sudan supported by regional and global proxies. The RSF has since committed acts of genocide and mass atrocities against non-Arab communities. Likewise, the SAF have targeted civilians through starvation, chemical attacks, and other atrocities that have destabilized the nation. The conflict in Sudan is the result of the worst humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world. More than 14 million have been forced to flee their homes, 19.5 million Sudanese are faced with acute food insecurity, and 5 million of those live in an emergency state of famine conditions. Senator Coons recognizes the path to peace in Sudan is through negotiation. In 2024, Senator Coons introduced the Sudan Accountability Act in response to the civil war in Sudan. Through bipartisan legislation, Senator Coons is dedicated to standing with Sudan in their long fight towards peace. Full text of the bill is available here .