US Envoy Meets Sudan Chief Amid Peace Push

US senior adviser Massad Boulos attended a luncheon hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in New Alamein City over the weekend alongside Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on the sidelines of the African Union's 8th midyear coordination meeting. Boulos posted on X that it was his pleasure to attend and reaffirmed US support for Sudan's unity and readiness to back inclusive dialogue toward a civilian-led government, as called for by President Trump. A Sudanese military-led government official said the Boulos-Burhan interaction was only a "you encounter," not formal talks. The encounter came less than two weeks after the US reportedly withheld a visa for Burhan ahead of a UN General Assembly appearance. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said last month neither the SAF, RSF, nor their leaders represent legitimate constitutional government for Sudan. Egyptian presidency spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy said Sisi received Burhan. The war that began in April 2023 between the SAF and RSF has displaced more than 14 million people, with nearly 20 million facing hunger per the UN World Food Programme. Boulos condemned a strike that killed a WFP driver on two aid lorries in South Kordofan as a "clear and dangerous pattern."