SUDAN · PEACE EFFORTS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Sudan’s army chief and Sovereign Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Thursday, 15 October, that he sent a message to US President Donald Trump pledging Sudan’s commitment to US-sponsored peace efforts.
- —Why it matters The message is a public signal to Washington after a September visa dispute and a US statement that neither warring side’s leaders are eligible to govern Sudan.
- —The numbers The war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023 and is in its fourth year, and a proposed three-month humanitarian truce has not taken hold.
- —Who is who Burhan commands the army and chairs the Sovereign Council, the ruling body of the army-backed government, while the Rapid Support Forces are the paramilitary rival led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
- —What to watch Watch for a reply from the White House or State Department, publication of the letter’s text, and a Geneva meeting of peace mediators that is described as imminent but has not been dated.
- —Prediction markets Polymarket gives a ceasefire in Sudan’s civil war by 31 December an 11.5% chance (16 October, 1:23 a.m. ET).
- —What it means for you For US readers the message shows Khartoum courting Washington while sanctions, a pending US bill and the visa dispute remain open, and it changes no US policy by itself.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief, says he has written to US President Donald Trump to pledge support for American-led peace efforts. The text of the message has not been published, and no US reply has appeared.
Sudan’s army chief Burhan writes to Trump to pledge support for US-sponsored peace efforts, he announced on Thursday, 15 October. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also chairs the Sovereign Council, posted on X that he sent a message to the US president.
The announcement matters because Washington is a main mediator in a war that is in its fourth year. It follows a September visa dispute that kept Burhan from the UN and a State Department statement questioning his right to govern.
What Burhan Said in His Post
Sudan Tribune quotes the post as saying Burhan sent Trump a message expressing Sudan’s commitment to US-sponsored peace efforts. The Arabic word risala can mean letter or message, and the post gives no text beyond that line.
Burhan added that the government is ready to work in good faith with all parties for a just and lasting peace. That peace would protect Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity, and the dignity of its people, in the wording Sudanile carries.
Sudanile, a Sudanese online newspaper, credits the state Sudan News Agency, SUNA, in its dateline for that wording. Neither outlet reports a separate Sovereign Council statement or says who delivered the message.
Why Burhan Writes to Trump Now
Burhan writes to Trump after a tense September in which the visa for the UN General Assembly became a flashpoint. He was due to speak on Thursday, 24 September, but a US visa holdup kept him away, Sudan Tribune reported.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned that no visa had been issued, The National reported on 22 September. The UN urged the host country to issue the visa under the headquarters agreement.
On Tuesday, 22 September, the State Department said neither the army nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces represents legitimate, constitutional governance. Spokesman Tommy Pigott added that each leader’s conduct makes them ineligible to govern, The National reported.
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry replied on Wednesday, 23 September, that it firmly rejects the State Department statement, Sudan Tribune reported. It said no negotiation should become a means to legitimise a reality created by the Rapid Support Forces.
Pigott said Washington has repeatedly asked both sides to accept a humanitarian truce without preconditions. Anadolu reported the Quad (US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt) called for a three-month truce on Friday, 12 September 2025.
A diplomatic source told Khaleej Times that Washington conditioned the visa on Burhan accepting a three-month truce. That link rests on unnamed sources and on Sudan Tribune’s account, and no official statement found confirms it.
What the Post Does Not Say
Neither report quotes the post on a truce or the visa dispute, which Sudan Tribune adds only as background. The post does not say whether Khartoum now accepts the three-month truce that it is reported to have resisted in September.
Neither report names a mediator or any recipient beyond Trump. The route of delivery and any US response are therefore unknown.
The Diplomacy Around the Letter
US adviser Massad Boulos said on Monday, 5 October, that he attended a lunch in Egypt with Burhan present, The National reported. Sudan says it did not reject the US truce proposal but submitted comments on it, the same report said.
Radio Dabanga reported on 14 October that the UN and Switzerland will host a sixth Geneva consultation on coordinating Sudan’s peace initiatives. Dabanga calls the meeting imminent but gives no date, and the Quad states and permanent Security Council members are invited.
Radio Dabanga also reported a US bill that would make a Sudan partnership depend on protecting civilians. The Sudan minerals bill analysis covers what appears to be the same measure, which becomes law only if Congress passes it.
What It Means for US Readers
When Burhan writes to Trump, he addresses the government that can sanction commanders, shape truce talks and grant visas. No US reply has been published, so no change in US policy is visible.
Washington has periodically sanctioned leaders and companies on both sides, Sudan Tribune notes. A public US answer, or a visa decision, would show whether the message changes anything.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday, 23 September, that Washington wants at minimum the humanitarian situation addressed. Sudan Tribune reported the remarks; firms and charities in Sudan face an open question over which authority Washington treats as legitimate.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a betting site, gives a ceasefire in Sudan’s civil war by 31 December an 11.5% chance (16 October, 1:23 a.m. ET). Only about US$15,000 has been traded on that bet, so the market is thin and prices can move on small trades.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The text of the message has not been published, and neither report says how or through whom it reached Washington. No reply from Trump, the White House or the State Department has been found.
It is unclear whether Sudan accepts the three-month truce, because the post does not mention it. It is also unclear which wording belongs to the message and which to the X post.
Sudanile credits SUNA, but no separate SUNA or Sovereign Council statement could be opened, and the X post itself was not viewed. The account here rests on two Sudanese outlets quoting the post.
The reported link between the visa and the truce rests on unnamed sources. The Geneva meeting has no announced date, and the Rapid Support Forces have not been reported to respond.
What Comes Next
The first test is whether Washington answers in public, through Trump or the State Department. The second is the Geneva meeting, which is described as imminent but has no date.
The message does not mean a truce has been agreed or that Washington accepts Burhan as Sudan’s legitimate ruler. A truce would still need acceptance from both the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Burhan send to Trump?
He said on X on Thursday, 15 October, that he sent a message to Trump expressing Sudan’s commitment to US-sponsored peace efforts. The text has not been published.
Has the United States responded?
No US reply had been published in the sources checked by Friday, 16 October. On 22 September the State Department said neither side’s leaders are eligible to govern Sudan.
Does the message mean Sudan accepts the truce?
The post does not say so. The US and its partners back a three-month truce, which Khartoum is said to have resisted, though it says it sent comments.
Who are the Rapid Support Forces?
The Rapid Support Forces are the paramilitary force that has fought Sudan’s army since April 2023. They are led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Why does this matter to US readers?
Washington is a main mediator in the war and holds leverage through sanctions, visas and diplomacy. The message is a public signal, but a US reply would show whether it changes anything.
Sources: Sudan Tribune (Arabic); Sudan Tribune (English); Sudanile; Sudan Tribune on the UN visa delay; Sudan Tribune on Rubio; Sudan Tribune on the Foreign Ministry reply; The National; Khaleej Times; The National on the Boulos encounter; UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Anadolu; Radio Dabanga (all accessed 16 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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