Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan may miss the UN General Assembly amid a dispute over a US-backed ceasefire plan.
The United States has not issued Burhan a visa for his planned trip to New York.
According to Reuters, Sudanese and other sources linked the move to Khartoum’s resistance to a proposed 90-day ceasefire.
The US has not publicly confirmed the reason for Burhan’s visa situation.
Burhan objects to parts of ceasefire plan
The US proposal called for an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce. Talks toward a permanent ceasefire and civilian-led transition would follow.
However, Sudan’s army raised objections to parts of the proposal.
One key disagreement concerns areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sudan’s army has demanded that the RSF withdraw from all cities it has controlled since May 2023. The US proposal reportedly called for more limited withdrawals.
Burhan has also criticised what Sudanese officials described as a take-it-or-leave-it approach to the negotiations.
Meanwhile, international efforts to end the war continue.
Visa dispute puts ceasefire disagreement in focus
The disagreement has now reached the UN General Assembly.
Burhan had planned to address the gathering in New York. However, his trip was postponed after he did not receive a visa.
Sudan has asked the United Nations to intervene.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is “deeply concerned” about the situation, according to his spokesperson.
Sudan’s foreign minister is expected to attend the gathering instead.
Sudan war continues
Fighting between Sudan’s regular armed forces and the RSF began in April 2023.
Since then, millions of people have been displaced and repeated attempts to secure a lasting ceasefire have failed.
International efforts to stop the fighting are continuing as disagreements over the latest ceasefire proposal remain unresolved.