Sudan denies reports of visa denial to US envoy

Khartoum: Sudan's Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a statement refuting claims that the Sudanese government had declined to grant an entry visa to U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello.

The ministry clarified, "The Sudanese Embassy in Washington or any other capital did not receive a request from Mr. Perriello for an entry visa," Xinhua News Agency reported.

Earlier reports from Sudanese local media suggested that Perriello had stated during a meeting with a Sudanese civil group in Kampala, Uganda, that the Sudanese government had denied him a visa.

Responding to these reports, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Sudanese embassy in Washington contacted the U.S. State Department, which affirmed that Perriello had not made such statements.

Perriello was appointed as the U.S. special envoy for Sudan on Feb. 26, 2024, with a mandate to lead U.S. efforts to resolve the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15, 2023, which have killed 15,550 people and displaced 8.7 million others so far, according to recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.