The United States is pushing for a Sudan peace deal backed by the UN Security Council as diplomatic efforts focus on a proposed 90-day humanitarian truce.
Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser, outlined the proposal in an interview with Al Jazeera.
He said Washington wants a Sudanese-led political settlement supported by international guarantees.
Boulos also said US engagement with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan does not amount to recognition of his government.
Sudan peace deal starts with humanitarian truce
The proposed plan would begin with a three-month humanitarian truce.
Boulos said the pause could help open aid corridors and build confidence between the warring sides. It could then create conditions for broader political talks.
He acknowledged concerns that a ceasefire could reinforce Sudan’s territorial divisions.
However, he argued that international oversight could help prevent that outcome.
According to Boulos, the wider peace effort has support from the United Nations, African Union, Arab League, European Union and other international partners.
Any eventual Sudanese agreement could then be submitted to the UN Security Council for international backing and implementation.
US maintains contact with both sides
Washington continues to communicate with both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan’s regular armed forces.
Boulos said the contacts are part of efforts to improve humanitarian access and pursue an end to the conflict.
He also said he had met Burhan and Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem several times.
However, Boulos stressed that those meetings did not amount to formal US recognition of Burhan’s government.
He said negotiations require communication with the parties involved in the fighting.
At the same time, Washington maintains that neither military leadership represents legitimate constitutional governance in Sudan.
Burhan opposes proposed 90-day truce
Burhan has opposed the proposed ceasefire.
He argues that previous pauses in fighting gave the RSF an opportunity to regroup.
Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry has also rejected Washington’s position on the legitimacy of the country’s leadership.
It argues that peace initiatives must respect Sudanese sovereignty and national institutions.
Meanwhile, Boulos has maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict.
Burhan visa dispute adds pressure
The diplomatic push has also become linked to Burhan’s planned participation in the UN General Assembly in New York.
Reuters reported on September 22, citing Sudanese sources, that Washington had withheld Burhan’s visa and linked its issuance to his acceptance of the proposed 90-day ceasefire.
However, the US State Department had not publicly confirmed that the visa was withheld for that reason.
Therefore, the reported connection between the visa and ceasefire proposal remains an attributed claim rather than a confirmed US government position.
International backing sought for Sudan peace deal
Boulos said an eventual Sudanese-led political agreement could receive backing from the UN Security Council.
International guarantees could then provide a framework for implementing the settlement.
However, significant disagreements remain over the humanitarian truce and Sudan’s future political structure.
For mediators, the proposed 90-day pause represents an immediate step towards opening humanitarian access and creating space for wider negotiations.
Whether the proposal can lead to a broader Sudan peace deal will depend on whether the warring sides can reach an agreement on the truce and the political process that would follow.