Exclusive: Sudan’s Burhan open to talks with UAE but ceasefire not imminent

Exclusive: Sudan’s Burhan open to talks with UAE but ceasefire not imminent Submitted by Eiad Husham on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 13:30 Sources say Sudanese army chief's recent visit to Gulf is part of Bahrain's efforts to broker talks with UAE The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (left), meets Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Muscat, Oman, on 21 April 2026 (Oman News Agency/Handout via Reuters) Off Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has told Middle East Eye he is willing to open talks with the United Arab Emirates , as long as certain conditions are met. These conditions include the UAE ending its support of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) , which has been at war with Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.  “We are willing to enter into peace talks with the UAE, but these talks need to be conducted on Sudan’s terms,” Burhan said. “The UAE must respect the unity of Sudan.” MEE can reveal that the Sudanese leader’s visit to Bahrain last week was part of an attempt by Bahrain to facilitate talks between Sudan’s army-backed government and the UAE. Efforts to establish a channel of communication between Abu Dhabi and the Sudanese government are continuing but have not been successful so far, said a Sudanese intelligence source and four European diplomatic sources familiar with the discussions. The sources told Middle East Eye that Bahrain’s close political ties with Abu Dhabi and its ability to relay messages between Sudan’s army-backed government and Emirati officials was crucial. Burhan’s visit to Bahrain – and to Oman and Saudi Arabia – comes at a time of growing optimism within Sudanese government circ...

Original source: Middle East Eye