NEW YORK, United States — The United States has withheld an entry visa for Sudan’s military leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, ahead of his scheduled address to the United Nations General Assembly, as Washington presses for a 90-day ceasefire in the country’s civil war.
The visa dispute has prompted Sudan to seek the intervention of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, while American officials have questioned the legitimacy of the country’s warring military leadership.
A Sudanese diplomatic source and a Western analyst familiar with American and Sudanese officials told Reuters that Washington had made the issuance of Burhan’s visa conditional on his acceptance of a three-month truce proposed by Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs.
A senior Sudanese official said Burhan had postponed his journey to New York but had not received formal notification that his visa application had been rejected.
Sudan’s foreign minister, Mohieldin Salem, was expected to deliver the country’s address to the General Assembly in Burhan’s absence, according to another Sudanese source.
The US State Department has not publicly confirmed that Burhan’s visa was being withheld because of his refusal to accept the ceasefire proposal.
Sudan Appeals to UN Over Visa Dispute
Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith, requested Guterres’ intervention in a letter dated Monday, September 21, 2026.
The ambassador asked the UN to engage American authorities to secure the necessary travel documents for Burhan and his delegation.
He warned that continued delays would prevent Sudan’s leader from attending the General Assembly in person.
Guterres subsequently raised the matter with Washington.
His spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said the secretary-general was deeply concerned that Burhan had reportedly not received a visa and was engaging with American officials.
The dispute raises questions about the United States’ obligations under the agreement governing the UN headquarters in New York.
The 1947 Headquarters Agreement requires the host country to facilitate access to UN headquarters for representatives of member states attending official meetings.
The agreement also provides that the right of access applies regardless of the diplomatic relations between the United States and the governments represented.
Washington Presses for Ceasefire
Burhan’s planned appearance at the General Assembly comes as the Trump administration seeks an agreement to halt fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The American-backed proposal calls for a 90-day humanitarian ceasefire, with Washington working alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to advance negotiations.
Sudan’s army expressed reservations about the proposal in July.
Burhan has argued that previous pauses in fighting allowed the RSF and its supporters to regroup before resuming military operations.
In an article published by Foreign Policy, he opposed externally imposed conditions for ending the war.
A Sudanese diplomatic source told Reuters that Burhan rejected the proposal being presented without an opportunity for changes or further negotiation.
The State Department declined to comment directly on the visa application.
Its spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said neither Sudan’s army nor the RSF, or their respective leaders, “represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan.”
Pigott said the Trump administration remained willing to work with parties committed to ending the conflict and would seek to increase pressure on those prolonging the fighting.
Sudan subsequently rejected Washington’s comments questioning the legitimacy of its government and called for constructive engagement between the two countries.
Sudan’s War Enters Fourth Year
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF began in April 2023 after a struggle for power between Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo escalated into armed fighting.
The two military leaders had previously participated in the October 2021 takeover that removed Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government.
Since the outbreak of war, millions of Sudanese have been forced from their homes, while fighting has disrupted food supplies, medical services, and humanitarian operations.
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 33.7 million people in Sudan will require humanitarian assistance in 2026.
The United States has also proposed expanding the existing arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region to cover the entire country.
Supporters of Sudan’s army have opposed the proposal, arguing that it would place the military at a disadvantage in its conflict with the RSF.
Burhan has previously represented Sudan at the UN General Assembly despite international criticism of his military leadership.
Former civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, removed from power after the 2021 military takeover, is also attending this year’s General Assembly alongside members of his anti-war coalition.
The visa dispute remains unresolved based on publicly confirmed information from American and Sudanese authorities, and Washington has yet to provide an official explanation for the delay in Burhan’s travel documents.
