US President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, met Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Egypt on Sunday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the African Union's mid-year coordination meeting in New Alamein. Boulos said he attended a luncheon hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi alongside Burhan. The US is pushing for a 90-day humanitarian ceasefire and resumption of political talks between the warring sides in Sudan.
The meeting comes as Washington seeks to engage the leaders of the rival armed forces in Sudan while maintaining that neither side represents legitimate constitutional government. The US initiative aims to end the fighting, ease humanitarian suffering, and create conditions for reconstruction and a transition to civilian government through an inclusive, Sudanese-led political process. Boulos emphasized the US commitment to Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
The meeting between Boulos and Burhan occurred less than two weeks after Washington withheld a visa for Burhan to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The decision was reportedly linked to a US proposal for a 90-day ceasefire that Burhan had resisted. The US has been working with Egypt and other regional and international partners to help end the war and ease humanitarian suffering in Sudan.
Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The US has been involved in diplomatic efforts to broker a settlement, with Boulos discussing efforts to end the war with UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan Pekka Haavisto.
Egypt, which maintains close ties with Sudan's army leadership, has also been involved in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted the luncheon for Boulos and Burhan, highlighting the country's role in regional diplomacy. The engagement highlights the difficult balance in US policy towards Sudan, seeking to engage the leaders of the rival armed forces while maintaining that neither side represents legitimate constitutional government.
The US State Department has previously stated that the actions of Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had disqualified them from leading Sudan. The department said neither side represented constitutional rule and that both were governing through force of arms. The US aims to support an inclusive, Sudanese-led political process to transition to civilian government.
The diplomatic efforts come as the humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to worsen. The conflict has created a massive displacement of people, with millions fleeing their homes. The US and its partners are working to provide humanitarian assistance and support a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The meeting between Boulos and Burhan is seen as a step towards achieving this goal, with the US pushing for a 90-day ceasefire and resumption of political talks.
Key points
- The US is pushing for a 90-day humanitarian ceasefire and resumption of political talks between the warring sides in Sudan.
- The meeting between Boulos and Burhan highlights the difficult balance in US policy towards Sudan, seeking to engage the leaders of the rival armed forces while maintaining that neither side represents legitimate constitutional government.
- The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
