Sudan’s military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Thursday that he had written to US President Donald Trump reaffirming his willingness to cooperate with Washington’s efforts to end the country’s devastating war, despite recent tensions between the two sides.
Burhan, who heads Sudan’s army and military-led Sovereignty Council, said his administration was prepared to engage with the United States and other parties in pursuit of a lasting political settlement.
In a statement posted on X on October 15, Burhan said he had contacted Trump to reaffirm his commitment to US-backed peace initiatives.
He said the administration was ready to work in good faith towards a just and lasting settlement that would protect Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and the dignity of its people.
The announcement comes amid strained relations between Washington and Sudan’s military leadership over US efforts to secure a humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
Washington has proposed a 90-day humanitarian truce, followed by a broader political process intended to produce a permanent ceasefire and establish a civilian-led government.
The initiative, advanced by Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, has faced resistance from Burhan, who previously rejected pressure to accept the ceasefire proposal and insisted that military operations would continue.
Tensions escalated in September after the United States withheld an entry visa for Burhan ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, reportedly linking its issuance to acceptance of the American ceasefire initiative.
Washington has also challenged the legitimacy of Sudan’s military-led administration.
In a September statement, the US State Department said neither the SAF nor the RSF, nor their respective leaders, represented legitimate constitutional governance in Sudan.
The department called for an immediate humanitarian truce without preconditions and an inclusive political dialogue leading to civilian rule.
Despite the diplomatic dispute, Boulos met Burhan in Egypt earlier this month during a gathering hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, signalling continued American engagement with Sudan’s military leadership.
