US Steps Up Pressure on Sudan's Warring Parties with Visa Denials and Sanctions, Says Massad Boulos

The US is hardening its position towards Sudan’s warring parties to end the war, utilizing a growing pressure toolkit that includes sanctions, efforts to expand the arms embargo and other measures, US envoy Massad Boulos told The National. One of those measures was Washington’s decision not to grant Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan a visa to attend the UN General Assembly’s high-level debate week in person.

“We don't have Gen Al Burhan in New York. That was a clear move to indicate a lack of appreciation for their position,” Mr Boulos, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said in an interview on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Gen Al Burhan had been due to deliver his country’s address at the UN despite facing accusations of war crimes and US sanctions over his forces' use of chemical weapons during the devastating conflict. Mr Boulos said the US remained in contact with both the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to find a peaceful solution to the war, but accused them of "wasting time" in the belief that they could achieve a military victory.

He added that the US supports a civilian track building on the outcomes of the Berlin conference, held in April on the third anniversary of the start of the civil war, which for the first time included a structured forum bringing together Sudanese civilian groups.

“The most important track of the Berlin Principles was the civilian track, which is led by the Quintet, and within the Quintet this is facilitated by the African Union and the UN and the Arab League,” he said. The Quintet comprises the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Arab League, the EU and the UN.

“We have to give it a chance. We have to support the Quintet. We have to support their effort. The only way to find the solution is through this Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led, facilitated by the Quintet, and it has to be inclusive,” he added.

Besides sanctions and the latest move to reject Gen Al Burhan's visa request, Washington is pushing to expand the arms embargo as another tool to prevent both sides from receiving foreign military support. The push came after a UN fact-finding mission found evidence of foreign support for the RSF, as well as the SAF’s use of weapons supplied by foreign countries in attacks that harmed civilians.

The US worked closely with the UK and other UN Security Council members on a draft resolution presented this month, ultimately accepting a one-month technical rollover of the existing Darfur arms embargo to allow more time for negotiations. With about two weeks remaining before the extension expires, France has also expressed support for expanding the arms embargo.

“We strongly feel that this resolution is very, very important. This resolution should pass. This resolution will be a very helpful tool,” the US envoy said, noting that the existing 20-year-old arms embargo is totally outdated given how modern warfare in Sudan now heavily involves drones.

Mr Boulos also highlighted that if the resolution does not pass, other avenues will be explored, including "addressing the gold issue" with partners like the UK and the EU, which helps fuel the conflict. Shifting focus closer to Sudan, Mr Boulos discussed positive diplomatic momentum and potential institutional unification in Libya involving partners such as Turkey, Egypt, Italy, and France.