U.S. Envoy in Port Sudan: Cloudy Atmosphere and Heated Meetings

Amid cloudy weather and a temperature not exceeding 30°C in Port Sudan, the temporary administrative capital of the Sudanese government, U.S. envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello arrived in the city, located on the Red Sea coast, where both Washington and Moscow aim to establish naval military bases to ensure influence and control over global trade routes through the ports.

Port Sudan, however, did not seem overly concerned about the American envoy, whose visit had been postponed multiple times since August, citing security protocols due to the lack of a U.S. embassy in Port Sudan. The envoy had insisted on meeting Sudanese officials at the airport, but these terms were firmly rejected by Sudan.

According to media reports, dozens of U.S. Marines, accompanied by helicopters, armored vehicles, and a military ship that docked at Port Sudan before the arrival of Perriello, arrived on Sunday as an advance team for the visit.

Nevertheless, Port Sudan did not witness heavy security measures or road closures, contrary to expectations, despite the coincidence of the U.S. envoy’s visit with that of the German envoy for the Horn of Africa, Heiko Nitzki, and the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland. It seemed like a special message to Washington, while the security authorities reinforced measures around the venue for the meetings with the country’s guests.

Al-Burhan and the U.S. Envoy

The Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council stated that its president, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met with the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, in the presence of Ambassador Omar Isa, acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sudan’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Abdullah Idris.

Following the meeting, Ambassador Mohamed said, “The meeting between the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and the U.S. envoy was long, comprehensive, and frank, discussing the current crisis, especially the significant harm caused to civilians by the systematic targeting of civilians, displaced persons, and refugees by rebel militias.”

He added, “The discussions included a roadmap for how to stop the war, deliver humanitarian aid, and restore social fabric, as well as the political process as a final solution post-conflict.”

The Sudanese Ambassador to Washington further noted that the U.S. envoy had proposed certain initiatives, which the Chairman of the Sovereign Council agreed to, confirming that the Sudanese government had fulfilled all its commitments regarding the opening of border crossings and airports to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and emphasized the government’s openness to any efforts that would enable aid to reach those in need.

Al-Burhan also informed the U.S. envoy that the Sudanese government does not approve of using the Adree crossing to deliver weapons to the rebellion. Ambassador Mohamed also stated that Al-Burhan thanked the United States, the World Food Program, and USAID for the humanitarian aid they provided to the Sudanese people.

The U.S. envoy began his visit with a series of meetings, including with Foreign Minister Ambassador Dr. Ali Yusuf, where they discussed various political issues, bilateral relations, humanitarian concerns, and ways to end the war.

He also met with Sultan Saad Bahar al-Din, Sultan of the Dar Masalit tribes, where they reviewed the events in West Darfur, where the Rapid Support Forces militias committed heinous crimes against civilians, including forced displacement, identity-based killings, and sexual assault.

A statement from the Sovereign Council indicated that Vice President Malik Agar also met with the U.S. envoy, and the meeting was characterized by frankness, addressing all issues, including how to stop the war, deliver humanitarian aid, and the negative roles of certain regional countries, particularly the UAE, which supports the Janjaweed militias with weapons and military supplies.

U.S. special envoy Tom Perriello expressed his pleasure in visiting Sudan and meeting with several Sudanese officials and tribal leaders, emphasizing that his visit carried a clear message from the United States showing solidarity with the Sudanese people, just as it has in previous decades. He proudly stated that the U.S. is one of the largest supporters of humanitarian aid for the displaced people inside Sudan and refugees who have crossed into neighboring countries. He expressed happiness at the progress made recently, which has expanded access to food, medicine, and other necessities. He reiterated that the U.S. will continue working with Sudan to ensure that all citizens receive necessary aid with dignity. He added, “We share the ambition for this war to end, to halt the atrocities and violations that have occurred recently, such as in the Jazeera region. The United States shares the Sudanese people’s aspirations for a democratic, inclusive future.”

Perriello also thanked the Sudanese officials, tribal leaders, and civil society groups he met during his visit for their warm welcome, according to the Sovereign Council’s statement.

Saudi TV Channel Al-Sharq reported that the meeting between the Chairman of the Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and U.S. envoy Tom Perriello initially wasn’t cordial. Al-Burhan criticized the U.S. administration’s stance, while Perriello criticized the obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid.

According to the channel, the two discussed the future of the Rapid Support Forces, agreeing on the necessity of ending the multiplicity of armed groups and forming a national army as part of a comprehensive political process.

In a Facebook post, Vice President of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar stated: “I met with U.S. envoy Tom Perriello, who clarified that the purpose of this visit is to build new relations with Sudan to discuss aid delivery and ending the war. He confirmed the continuous interest of successive U.S. administrations in Sudanese affairs.”

Agar continued, “I thanked the envoy for his visit, albeit delayed, and informed him that we have followed his efforts and the conferences and meetings he held in various countries to solve the Sudanese crisis. I affirmed that Sudanese-American relations have had ups and downs, but now, in the Sudanese government, we look forward to building a healthy relationship that aligns with the goals of the Sudanese people and is based on mutual respect.”

He also stated, “I made it clear that the current crisis in Sudan is the result of Sudanese hands, supported by U.S. and European blessings, along with financial backing from the UAE. If the U.S. is serious about ending this war, they should use their relationship with the UAE to stop its support for the Daqlo militias.” He emphasized that there can be no democracy or stability in the region with the presence of the Rapid Support Forces.

Agar further mentioned that they also discussed the Jeddah Agreement, facilitated by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, noting that while the agreement was good, it lacked implementation mechanisms. The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue discussions between the two countries’ leadership.

Foreign Minister and U.S. Envoy

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Foreign Minister Dr. Ali Yusuf received U.S. envoy Tom Perriello and his delegation at his office on Monday afternoon.

The Minister welcomed the visit, praising the United States’ efforts in providing humanitarian aid to Sudan and its contribution to the Jeddah Declaration.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s desire to reach peace that ends the suffering of Sudanese citizens, who face heinous violations due to the crimes of rebel militias. He clarified that the government does not obstruct humanitarian aid, as the militias do so to provoke external intervention after their defeats in various regions.

The Minister emphasized that the government remains committed to extending the Adree crossing and other crossings to deliver aid to Sudanese people, even in areas controlled by the rebel militias.

For his part, the U.S. envoy expressed gratitude to the Sudanese government for allowing the visit, and highlighted the consensus within the U.S. to provide humanitarian aid, end the war, and restore peace and stability to Sudan. He stressed the importance of continued dialogue between both sides to reach a resolution and end the suffering of Sudanese people both inside and outside the country, denying any U.S. agenda for external intervention.

He also stated that he does not see a political or military future for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.