Sudan’s head of state, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was denied a US visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Burhan was due to address the 81st session of the General Assembly, but the visa issue prevented him from travelling to the US.
Reuters reported that the US decision was linked, according to Sudanese and other sources, to a proposed 90-day ceasefire in Sudan’s ongoing war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The US State Department has not publicly confirmed that the ceasefire was a condition for the visa.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed regret that Gen. Burhan was unable to attend the gathering in person. Sudan was represented at the General Assembly by Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem.
The visa dispute comes as international efforts continue to find a political solution to Sudan’s conflict, which began in April 2023 and has created a major humanitarian crisis.
