At a House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on December 11, Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) addressed the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The hearing, titled “Stopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan,” brought attention to the worsening situation and the need for stronger international action.
Smith reflected on his recent attendance at President Trump’s meeting with African leaders that resulted in the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He praised Trump’s focus on peace efforts in Africa, stating, “The President is a man of peace—peace through strength—and I am encouraged by his focus and engagement on Sudan.”
Describing Sudan as being under “the darkest of clouds,” Smith recalled his own history with the region, including chairing a 1996 hearing on slavery in Sudan and Mauritania, and visiting Khartoum in 2005 to press then-President Omar al Bashir about genocide in Darfur. Smith noted that Bashir was later charged by the International Criminal Court with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
He recounted visits to refugee camps in Darfur where survivors described personal stories of violence by militias. “Just about everyone we spoke with, however, especially the women, told us personal stories of rape, senseless beatings, and massacres by the Janjaweed and Sudanese militias,” Smith said.
Witnesses at the hearing included Nicole Widdersheim of Human Rights Watch; Tony Perkins, former Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and Ken Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse. Perkins highlighted religious persecution: “both the RSF and the SAF have a common enemy in Christians… Christians have been denied food aid and told, unless you leave your Christianity, no food for you.” Isaacs described worsening conditions: “Today, the humanitarian situation in Sudan has deteriorated further,” adding that “what’s happening in Sudan is a manmade famine” affecting millions.
Smith pointed out that atrocities continue under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He cited reports of killings, detentions, abductions, mass rape, child soldier recruitment, destruction of infrastructure—including repeated bombings of World Food Program convoys—and attacks on civilians such as a recent incident where over 100 people were killed at a kindergarten.
“Each murdered civilian, each child starved to death in the Zamzam camp, each woman violated in El Geneina,” Smith stated,“is a person whose life has been taken or irrevocably shattered.”
Smith criticized delays by previous administrations in imposing sanctions against those responsible for violence. He also condemned foreign involvement fueling conflict through arms shipments or funding from smuggled gold. He specifically called out external actors like Russia seeking naval access to Port Sudan and Iran providing drones to SAF.
The Department of Treasury recently announced sanctions targeting a network led by former Colombian military personnel fighting alongside RSF since 2024.
Smith urged immediate action: cessation of hostilities; an end to external financing; halting arms flows from countries such as UAE (to RSF), Turkey and Iran (to SAF); investigation into crimes against humanity; accountability for perpetrators; and designation of RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Chris Smith currently serves as U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 4th district—a position he has held since 1981 after succeeding Frank Thompson (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/S000522). Born in Rahway in 1953 and now living in Manchester Township (https://www.nj.com/news/2023/01/njs-longest-serving-congressman-chris-smith-begins-22nd-term-in-dc.html), Smith graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BS degree (https://www.tcnj.edu/alumni-notables/).
