Burhan says Sudan will not back down after US visa denial

Burhan says Sudan will not back down after the US denies him a visa

Sudan Sovereignty Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said his country would not yield to pressure or blackmail after the United States denied him a visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was concerned about the visa decision.

Scraper SystemSeptember 27, 2026, 12:03 PM

Burhan says Sudan will not back down after the US denies him a visa

Sudan Sovereignty Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said his country did not need any country's permission, despite the United States denying him a visa to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing young people at the opening of the "We Have Not Forgotten You" initiative, launched to support the health sector at Khartoum Stadium, Burhan said Sudan would not yield to pressure or blackmail.

Speaking at the event, which was also attended by content creators and athletes, Burhan said, "Sudan will not respond to any pressure or blackmail and will continue to raise its voice." Saying that the Sudanese people could not be intimidated, Burhan stated that his country would not negotiate with anyone, would not sell itself cheaply and would not bow before any power.

Burhan said the support young people had shown for the initiative demonstrated that Sudan was in safe hands.

Burhan aims to defeat the Rapid Support Forces

Burhan said his priority was to defeat the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the army since April 2023. He said he aimed to clear the whole of Sudan, including Darfur, of these groups.

International reaction to the visa decision

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was concerned that Burhan had not been granted a visa.

The Sudanese government also rejected a September 22 statement by the US State Department. The statement said that the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and their leaders did not represent legitimate and constitutional governance for the country.

The authorities in Khartoum reaffirmed their commitment to national sovereignty and called on Washington to establish a positive relationship with them. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan's civil war, millions have been displaced and the country is facing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.

Burhan says Sudan will not back down after the US denies him a visa