UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed regret over a delay in granting a US entry visa to Sudan’s Sovereign Council leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, preventing him from attending and addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, according to a Sudanese diplomatic statement.
Burhan had been scheduled to deliver a speech before world leaders on Thursday, but the United States did not issue the required travel document in time.
Washington later said it had withdrawn recognition of Burhan’s ruling authority following the collapse of efforts to secure a humanitarian ceasefire in the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.
Guterres met Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, although the UN chief’s official readout of the meeting did not directly mention the visa dispute.
Instead, Guterres expressed deep concern over the continuing conflict, warning that the violence was having a devastating impact on civilians and could further destabilise the region.
The UN secretary-general also highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation and stressed the need to ensure humanitarian access to people in need across Sudan.
He called for an end to hostilities and an inclusive political process aimed at resolving the conflict.
On his part, Salim briefed Guterres on developments in Sudan and reiterated Khartoum’s readiness to cooperate with international humanitarian agencies to facilitate aid convoys, according to Sudan’s Foreign Ministry.
Guterres welcomed Sudanese efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and urged the country’s warring parties to pursue dialogue to end the conflict.
