Sudan Rejects US Legitimacy Remarks, Defends Sovereignty

Sudan on Wednesday defended its national sovereignty and urged the United States to engage constructively with its government after Washington questioned the legitimacy of the country’s warring authorities.

The dispute comes as Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan faces uncertainty over attending the United Nations gathering in New York. Sources told Reuters that the United States withheld a visa for Burhan, making his attendance conditional on accepting a proposed 90-day ceasefire.

Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into widespread fighting. The conflict has displaced more than 14 million people and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Tuesday that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Rapid Support Forces, including their respective leaders, represents “legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan.”

Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation strongly rejected the remarks. It said any lasting peace initiative must respect Sudan’s sovereignty, national unity, territorial integrity and what it described as legitimate national institutions.

The ministry also argued that peace efforts should address factors prolonging the conflict, particularly what it called negative foreign interference.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Wednesday that diplomatic efforts to end the Sudan war have been difficult. Speaking to reporters in New York, Rubio said parties have repeatedly agreed to commitments only to abandon them when they believe they can gain an advantage on the battlefield. He also pointed to the involvement of external actors.

Concerns over foreign involvement have intensified. A United Nations fact-finding mission said this month that foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are helping sustain the Sudan conflict and expanding the ability of warring factions to launch drone attacks against civilian areas far from front lines.

The latest diplomatic tensions underscore the challenges facing international efforts to secure a ceasefire and move Sudan toward a political settlement.