Sudan won't yield to 'pressure or blackmail' after US withholds Burhan's UN visa

Defiance at Khartoum Stadium

Speaking at Khartoum Stadium during the launch of the "We Have Not Forgotten You" initiative to support the health sector, Burhan dismissed the visa denial as an attempt to subvert Sudanese sovereignty. "Sudan will not respond to any pressure or blackmail, and its voice will remain loud," he said, addressing content creators and athletes gathered for the event. He added that the Sudanese people could not be intimidated by external actors seeking to influence the nation's affairs.

Visa dispute and legitimacy

The visa refusal comes amid heightened tensions between Khartoum and Washington, with the US State Department declaring on Sept. 22 that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Rapid Support Forces represented legitimate constitutional governance. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern that Burhan had not received the necessary documentation to travel to New York, according to diplomatic sources. Sudan's government swiftly rejected the State Department's characterization, reaffirming its commitment to national sovereignty and urging Washington to engage constructively with the transitional authority.

War aims and humanitarian crisis

Burhan outlined his military objectives during the stadium address, vowing to defeat the RSF which has been battling the army since April 2023. "Our goal is to clear all of Sudan, including Darfur, of these thugs," he said, referring to the paramilitary group that has seized territory across the country. The civil war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, triggering what aid agencies describe as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.