US envoy Massad Boulos, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump on Arab and African affairs, met with Sudanese army chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan over the weekend as Washington steps up diplomatic efforts to help end Sudan’s devastating war.
Boulos met Burhan on Saturday during a luncheon hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the sidelines of the African Union’s mid-year coordination meeting.
In a post on X, Boulos said the discussions were aimed at supporting efforts to restore security and stability in Sudan, advance reconstruction and development, and establish an inclusive national dialogue led and owned by Sudanese people that could pave the way toward a civilian-led government.
US and Regional Efforts to End Sudan War
The meeting comes as the United States, Egypt and other regional mediators seek to renew pressure on Sudan’s warring parties to return to negotiations and end a conflict that has caused a massive humanitarian crisis.
The war has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced around 13 million and pushed several parts of Sudan into famine.
The meeting between Boulos and Burhan was also held less than two weeks after Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim accused Washington of denying Burhan a visa to attend the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The US State Department declined to comment at the time, citing visa privacy laws.
War Enters Fourth Year
Sudan’s conflict has entered its fourth year and has received less international attention over the past year amid escalating conflicts elsewhere in the Middle East.
The fighting erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between Sudan’s military and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces escalated into open warfare in Khartoum and other parts of the country.
Several attempts to broker a peace agreement have failed in recent months. However, Boulos and other Trump administration officials have said they still see an opportunity for a regional agreement that could secure an immediate humanitarian truce, including the withdrawal of forces from certain areas and the creation of safe humanitarian corridors.
Boulos said the United States was prepared to support efforts toward comprehensive dialogue among Sudanese political forces and the development of an initial roadmap for the country’s future.
