Sudan pushes back after US calls army-led government illegitimate

Sudan pushed back on Wednesday against a US declaration that the country is not under legitimate governance as Washington escalates pressure on military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan into accepting a ceasefire.

What happened: In a statement released late on Wednesday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said it “strongly rejects” the latest State Department’s position and emphasized that any peace initiative must “proceed from respect for Sudan’s … legitimate national institutions.” 

The ministry also pointed to the government’s engagement with the US-led Quad diplomatic alliance and the 2023 peace talks in Jeddah as evidence of its willingness to engage with international mediation.

The ministry added that any such initiative must also address “external intervention,” likely referring to the UAE, which the government has accused of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in its protracted war with the Sudanese Armed Forces  since April 2023. The UAE denies the allegations.