US weighs up broader sanctions on Sudan's army and rival RSF

The US is considering a much broader range of sanctions on the belligerents in the war in Sudan, in a tacit acknowledgment of the inability of the US envoy, Massad Boulos, to persuade the parties to accept a ceasefire.

- Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Donald Trump announced last week that work had begun to end the war after a personal request for his direct intervention from the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

But Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, has been trying for months to persuade the Sudanese army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, to back a ceasefire with no success.

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, told a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday that Trump was "the only leader in the world capable of resolving the Sudan crisis".

An Arab diplomat added: "Trump injects momentum into peace processes. It's what we do with it that matters."

The Guardian understands that the warring parties have been told it is highly likely that Trump will impose a far broader range of sanctions on groups that he regards as standing in the way of a ceasefire.

Norway's foreign ministry is preparing to invite a wide range of Sudanese society to Oslo in the coming weeks to map out the parameters of how a civilian government could be restored in the event of the conflict ending.

According to the UN, the war has killed 40,000 people, though some rights groups say the death toll is significantly higher. It has also created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 14 million people displaced.