U.S., Saudi officials hold talks in Cairo, Rome to advance peace in Sudan

October 16, 2025 (ROME) – Less than 24 hours after a visit by the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to Cairo, the...

October 16, 2025 (ROME) – Less than 24 hours after a visit by the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to Cairo, the U.S. Presidential Advisor for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, held talks in Egypt, followed by discussions in Rome with the Chadian President, alongside Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Walid El-Khereiji, focusing on ways to end the conflict in Sudan.

Boulos met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, while he and El-Khereiji later met with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby.

These diplomatic moves come ahead of an upcoming meeting of the Quad mechanism—comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE—in Washington to discuss a settlement to the Sudanese conflict, five weeks after it proposed a roadmap.

In Rome, Boulos stated that he met with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Walid El-Khereiji to bolster joint efforts to resolve conflicts and promote peace in the region. “Regarding Sudan, we are working through the ‘Quad’ to take urgent and coordinated action to restore peace and stability and end the suffering of the Sudanese people,” he added.

Commenting on his meeting with the Egyptian president in a post on the “X” platform, Boulos said the discussion focused on “challenges in the region and exploring opportunities to facilitate peace.” He continued, “The United States values Egypt’s leadership in addressing conflicts, including its constructive role in Sudan and its partnership within the Quad working group.”

The meeting in Cairo took place just one day after Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and President Sisi held talks that addressed the ongoing peace efforts, particularly at the level of the Quad mechanism, and its importance as an umbrella for stopping the war and achieving stability.

Al-Burhan and Sisi expressed hope that the Quad meeting, set to be held in Washington this month, would yield concrete results for resolving the crisis in Sudan.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Walid El-Khereiji met with Massad Boulos, during which they reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest developments on the regional and African fronts.

The statement noted that El-Khereiji and Boulos held an official meeting with President Mahamat Idriss Déby to discuss intensifying efforts to enhance security and peace and resolve the conflict in Sudan.

Current international efforts aim to create a suitable climate to bring the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) back to the negotiating table to end the war that has been ongoing for more than two years.

The Sudanese government had previously agreed to negotiate based on a roadmap it presented last March, which stipulates the withdrawal of the RSF from all cities under its control and their assembly in camps in the Darfur region, as a prelude to negotiating their future. The roadmap also calls for a significant international role led by the United Nations to ensure a halt to the flow of weapons to the RSF and to oversee the peace process.

In contrast, the RSF demands a political role for itself and its allies in any future transitional phase.

On September 12, the foreign ministers of the Quad mechanism approved a roadmap to end the war in Sudan. It included the establishment of an initial three-month humanitarian truce, intended to lead immediately to a permanent ceasefire, followed by the launch of a comprehensive and transparent transitional process.

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