Sudan's Al-Burhan US visa denial robs him opportunity to attend, address UNGA

Sudanese army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan who has been denied visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, US. [AFP]

The United States refusal to grant a visa to Sudanese army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has denied him the opportunity to attend and address the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Several news organizations including the AFP reported that Washington had linked the issuing of a visa to his acceptance of a 90-day ceasefire in the warring nation.

The US conditioned the visa on al-Burhan accepting a three-month ceasefire proposal, citing diplomatic sources.

Al-Burhan's government has rejected the proposal, arguing that a truce would only allow the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to regroup and attack, and in retaliation Washington denied him visa.

According to Reuters, the 90-day truce was proposed by Massad Boulos, the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs.

Washington wants both sides to accept a humanitarian truce and commit to an inclusive political dialogue leading to a civilian government, according to the State Department.

Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF since 2023, which the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. No regional, international or UN initiative has halted it so far.

Al-Burhan was scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday. It remains unclear whether he will attend but diplomatic sources told news organizations in Khartoum, that they remain optimistic of their leader attending,

Al-Burhan has addressed the assembly before, twice, since the war broke out without such hitches.

Sudan’s UN ambassador has urged the world body to intervene, arguing that failure to allow al-Burhan to travel to New York prevents the member state leader from participating in person.

A spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned" that the visa had not been issued and was engaging with Washington on the issue.

One diplomatic source told the media that withholding the entry permit was a "violation of the UN's agreement with the US".

Several sources described the dispute as the lowest point in relations between Washington and Sudan's army since the war began.

Relations had already been strained by a US proposal to extend the arms embargo on Darfur to the whole country, a move Al-Burhan’s backers dismissed arguing that it would disproportionately punish the army.

On Monday, Al-Burhan reportedly said that ceasefire efforts led by outside parties had failed to end the war and that peace dictated from outside would not last.

Stripped legitimacy, a new blow to Al-Burhan

As reports of the withheld visa emerged, the US Department of State issued a statement on Tuesday declaring that neither of Sudan's warring parties holds legitimate authority.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that neither the SAF, RSF nor their respective leaders "represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan."

He added that the United States was ready to work with anyone who is a serious partner for peace in Sudan, and that Washington would "seek to raise the cost of continued conflict on all belligerents" and the networks fueling the war.

Former Sudanese civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is in New York this week to attend General Assembly events alongside members of his anti-war coalition, according to Reuters.

The conflict in Sudan has displaced nearly 14 million people.

At least 9.3 million people have been displaced inside Sudan and 4.4 million others who have fled to neighboring countries, according to UN figures from October 2025.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 33.7 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2026.