The United States has confirmed the imposition of strict travel restrictions on Sudan’s General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his delegation during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The measures, enforced under the Foreign Missions Act and authorised by the State Department, confined the Sudan’s junta delegation to a 25-mile radius around Columbus Circle, effectively preventing Burhan from joining the high-level sessions.
According to the official notification, any movement beyond this limit required prior approval from the Office of Foreign Missions, with further restrictions possible at the discretion of its director.
The order covered the entirety of the delegation’s stay in the United States during the week of the Assembly.
Observers viewed the restrictions as a clear sign of Washington’s hardened approach towards Burhan’s administration from countries gripped by political upheaval or conflict, leaving questions about the trajectory of relations between the US and Sudan.
Burhan’s absence from the UN podium was seen as striking, especially as Sudan faces deepening internal unrest and intensifying humanitarian crises that have already drawn widespread international concern.
At a moment when Khartoum is striving to re-engage with global partners, the restrictions suggest diplomatic frost, underlining Washington’s readiness to use unconventional leverage against transitional or military-led governments.
Diplomatic sources suggested the move might signal not only displeasure with Sudan’s junta leadership but also a broader message about the costs of instability.
The episode has sparked speculation about how Sudan’s international presence will be shaped in the coming months and whether Burhan’s sidelining at the Assembly marks the start of sharper political isolation.
For Sudan, the silence of its leader at the UN stage may prove as heavy as words never spoken.
