Port Sudan, May 16, 2024 – The Sudanese government has rebuffed assertions made on Thursday suggesting that it had declined to issue a visa to U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello.
During a meeting with Sudanese civil society groups in Kampala, Uganda, Perriello purportedly stated that his attempts to secure a Sudanese entry visa over the past two months had been fruitless.
Contrary to Perriello’s claims, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement refuting the allegations as “baseless.” The ministry clarified that neither the Sudanese embassy in Washington nor any other embassy had received a visa application from the envoy. Additionally, it confirmed that the embassy in Washington had reached out to the U.S. State Department, which confirmed Perriello had not made any such complaints.
On May 11, Perriello commenced a regional tour, visiting Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to engage with “key regional partners.” The objective of the tour is to reinforce efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan, prevent further atrocities, address urgent humanitarian needs, and pave the way for a civilian-led democratic government.
The protracted conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, marked by extensive internal and external displacement of Sudanese citizens and significant damage to infrastructure, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan, Al-Jazirah, and Khartoum.
Despite mounting international and regional pressure for the warring factions to enter negotiations, both sides remain steadfast in their pursuit of a decisive military victory.
