By Daphne Psaledakis, Nafisa Eltahir, Antoni Slodkowski and Khalid Abdelaziz
Sept 22 – The United States is withholding a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of his scheduled UN appearance in a move that Sudanese and other sources say is linked to a US-backed ceasefire proposal that Khartoum has resisted.
A senior Sudanese source said Burhan had postponed his trip to New York but had yet to receive official notice that the visa had been denied.
“Sudan’s government affirms its stance towards peace. U.S. officials have made Burhan’s attendance contingent on his agreeing to a 90-day ceasefire proposed by U.S.
“We in the Sudanese government express our deep regret because this is a violation of the UN Convention and international law,” the source said. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, according to a Sudanese diplomatic source and a Western analyst close to American and Sudanese officials. Another Sudanese source told Reuters that foreign minister Mohieldin Salem would give the address instead. “Burhan rejects this take-it-or-leave-it approach, any proposal is subject to suggestions and changes,” the Sudanese diplomatic source said. In a statement sent to Reuters, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the secretary-general is “deeply concerned that a visa has reportedly not yet been issued to the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Sudan,” adding that he is engaging with the US on the issue.
In a piece in US outlet Foreign Policy published on Monday, Burhan said he would refuse external directives about the war and said previous pauses in fighting had only allowed the RSF and its backers to regroup.
