U.S. denies plans to receive Sudan’s al-Burhan

May 28, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – U.S. State Department dismissed reports about a planned visit of the head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to Washington for talks on the situation in Sudan.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has begun a series of visit to regional countries to explain the position of the military council on the transfer of power in Sudan.

Meanwhile, there were strong rumours that Washington was his next destination as they seek to remain in power for more than two months in the event they fail to strike a deal with the opposition.

Andrew Burnett Deputy Director in the office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan on Tuesday organized a telephone conference with Sudanese activists in the United State to brief them about the position of Trump administration on Sudan.

Also, activists said he denied plans to receive Sudanese military officials in Washington.

“The State Department told us there are no plans for any TMC visit here,” Omer Ismail, Enough Project Senior Advisor told Sudan Tribune after the call conference on Tuesday.

Ismail added that Burnett further spoke about some lower level engagement has occurred with Sudanese diplomats from Khartoum or the embassy in Washington, but nothing with TMC members directly.

In addition, the diplomat brushed aside reports released in Khartoum that the former head of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) was in Washington earlier this month.

“Feel free to relay that these are false, as are the rumours that Gosh was recently here, to anyone that asks,” he stressed.

On 21 May, The U.S. and its partners in the Troika the UK and Norway urged to conclude a swift agreement on power transfer to civilian-led authority saying any failure would prevent support to Sudan’s economic development.

(ST)