US withholds visa from Sudan army chief ahead of UN appearance

The United Nations calls Sudan's civil war the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and the deadlock over a proposed 90-day ceasefire now threatens to keep the head of the Sudanese army away from this week's General Assembly. Washington has not issued an entry visa for Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, according to Sudanese and other sources, because Khartoum has resisted the US-backed truce plan. A senior Sudanese official told Reuters that Burhan postponed his trip to New York, though he had yet to receive formal notice that the visa was denied.

The hold extends to his entire official delegation, Channel Africa reported. The visa decision is tied directly to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Massad Boulos, the US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs. American officials made Burhan's attendance contingent on his accepting that 90-day pause, according to a Sudanese diplomatic source and a Western analyst close to both governments.

Burhan was scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday. A second Sudanese source said Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem would speak in his place. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned that a visa has reportedly not yet been issued to the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Sudan," UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement to Reuters, adding that Guterres is engaging with Washington on the matter.

Sudan's UN ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith, wrote to Guterres on September 21 asking for the UN's "immediate intervention" with US authorities. "Should this situation persist, it would effectively prevent the Head of State of a Member State of the United Nations from participating in person in the work of the General Assembly," the letter said. A senior Sudanese government source called the visa hold "a violation of the UN Convention and international law," while affirming that "Sudan's government affirms its stance towards peace."

Washington's position was laid out by State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, who said neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, nor their leaders "represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan." He added that the United States and President Trump "stand ready to work with anyone who is a serious partner for peace in Sudan" and would "seek to raise the cost of continued conflict on all belligerents." The impasse marks a low point in US-Sudan relations since the army and the RSF went to war in April 2023.

Sudan's army voiced reservations about the Boulos-proposed ceasefire as early as July, and diplomatic sources said Burhan is unlikely to engage further with Boulos if the visa is not granted. "Burhan rejects this take-it-or-leave-it approach, any proposal is subject to suggestions and changes," the Sudanese diplomatic source said. Burhan has led Sudan's army and served as the country's de facto ruler since 2019, though the African Union and Western powers withdrew recognition after the 2021 coup he led with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.