The United States is withholding a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of his planned appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, Reuters reported on September 22, citing people familiar with the matter.
A letter from Sudan's UN ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the visa had not been issued and suggested the delay was linked to a proposed 90-day ceasefire backed by Washington.
Reuters reported that Burhan and Sudan's army have expressed reservations about the ceasefire proposal. The army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.
The UN Secretariat has raised the visa issue with U.S. authorities, according to the Reuters report. Guterres has also expressed concern.
The United States has not publicly announced a formal visa denial or stated that a visa decision is conditional on Burhan accepting the ceasefire plan.
Burhan has represented Sudan at previous UN meetings. The continuing war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced millions of people and created a severe humanitarian crisis.