Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, is facing visa denial from the United States ahead of his trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. This action, according to Sudanese sources and others, is linked to the ceasefire proposal supported by the United States, which the Sudanese government has rejected.
Impact on U.S.-Sudan Relations
This disagreement, reported for the first time, could escalate tensions between Washington and the Sudanese army amid a civil war that the United Nations describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis. A senior Sudanese source stated that al-Burhan has postponed his trip to New York but has not yet received any official notification regarding the visa denial.
Read more: Yemen: Saudi Arabia's Deadly Attack on Key Port in Conflict with Houthis
This source added, "We in the Sudanese government deeply regret this action as it violates the United Nations convention and international law. The Sudanese government emphasizes its position in favor of peace." The Sudanese representative at the United Nations has also requested Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, to intervene, arguing in a letter that preventing al-Burhan from attending the General Assembly would violate the UN's commitments to member states.
U.S. Condition for Visa Issuance
According to information from a Sudanese diplomatic source and a Western analyst close to U.S. and Sudanese officials, U.S. officials have conditioned al-Burhan's attendance on the acceptance of a proposed 90-day ceasefire by Masad Bolus, the senior advisor for Arab and African affairs at the U.S. State Department. A U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that there is no comment on al-Burhan's visa and emphasized that the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their leaders are "not legitimate representatives of the Sudanese government."
This deadlock represents a turning point in U.S.-Sudan relations since the onset of the war in Sudan between the army and RSF in April 2023. While al-Burhan was scheduled to speak at the General Assembly on Thursday, another Sudanese source has indicated that Foreign Minister Mohi al-Din Salim will speak in his place.
The Sudanese army expressed concerns about Bolus's proposed ceasefire in July. If the visa is not issued, it seems that al-Burhan will be reluctant to continue cooperating with Bolus's efforts. A Sudanese diplomatic source in this regard said, "Al-Burhan will not accept this imposed approach, and any proposal must be subject to suggestions and changes."
Consequences of the Current Situation
A letter dated September 21 sent to Guterres and signed by the Sudanese representative, Al-Harith Idris Al-Harith, calls for the "immediate intervention" of the United Nations with U.S. officials for visa issuance. The letter states, "If this situation continues, it will effectively prevent the president of a UN member state from participating in the General Assembly's work." A UN spokesperson has also expressed deep concern regarding the visa denial for the head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan and added that they are engaging with the United States on this matter.
Al-Burhan, who has been recognized as the de facto leader of Sudan since 2019, has represented Sudan at the UN General Assembly since the coup in 2021, which he carried out alongside Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti) against civilian leadership. Meanwhile, Dagalo has established a rival government that is still seeking legitimacy.
The United States has made efforts to mediate in this conflict in the framework of a "Quad" format that includes the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. In an article published in an American media outlet, al-Burhan stated that he would refrain from foreign orders regarding the war and said that previous pauses in the conflict have only allowed RSF forces and their supporters to regroup.
Read more: Emmanuel Macron Condemns Trump's Diplomacy in Gaza at the United Nations · The U.S. Government Defends War with Iran at the United Nations General Assembly
