Sudan's military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has publicly rejected international pressure over the war in Sudan, following the United States' decision to withhold his visa to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. This development has added to the pressure on Sudan's military leadership to accept a proposed ceasefire. The conflict in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
According to sources cited by Reuters, US officials have linked Burhan's visa to a proposal for an unconditional three-month truce in Sudan. The proposal was presented by Massad Boulos, a senior US adviser on Arab and African affairs, as part of Washington's efforts to end the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The US has not publicly confirmed that Burhan's visa was formally denied or that its issuance was explicitly conditional on accepting the ceasefire proposal.
In his first public response to Washington's decision, Burhan told a crowd at Khartoum Stadium that Sudan does not need a visa to any country or permission from anyone. He emphasized that the country would not bow to pressure or accept conditions imposed by other governments. Burhan, who heads Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council, vowed to continue the military campaign against the RSF, rejecting any compromise with the paramilitary group.
Burhan stated that his goal is to eliminate the RSF, no matter the cost, and cleanse Sudan all the way to Darfur. He said Sudanese forces would continue pursuing the RSF across the country, adding that they would not let them go and would reach them wherever they entered. Burhan praised military personnel fighting on the front lines and young Sudanese supporting the war effort through social media, sports, and community initiatives.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023, after months of tensions between the army and the RSF over a proposed transition to civilian rule and the integration of the paramilitary force into the regular military. Sudan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss, had asked UN Secretary-General António Guterres to intervene with US authorities over the visa delay. UN officials said they had raised the matter with Washington, while Guterres expressed serious concern over the non-issuance of the visa.
Under the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, the United States is generally required to facilitate access to the United Nations for foreign diplomats. However, Washington has historically denied or restricted visas for foreign officials on national security and foreign policy grounds. A US State Department spokesman said Washington does not comment on individual visa cases.
Burhan's rejection of the pressure underscores the gap between Washington's push for a ceasefire and the position of Sudan's military leadership, which has repeatedly said it will continue fighting until the RSF is defeated. The standoff over Burhan's visa comes as Washington increases pressure on Sudan's warring parties to agree to a ceasefire and begin a political process to end the conflict.
Key points
- Sudan's military leader Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejects US pressure over visa to attend UN General Assembly
- US links Burhan's visa to a proposal for an unconditional three-month truce in Sudan
- Burhan vows to continue military campaign against RSF, rejecting compromise
