Trump envoy defends neutrality in pushing for Sudan peace plan
President Donald Trump's senior Africa envoy, Massad Boulos, has dismissed claims that the U.S.'s recent proposal to resolve the Sudan civil war is "biased."
The US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been attempting to mediate between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting for more than two years, News.Az reports, citing the BBC.
On Sunday, Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the latest ceasefire proposal was unacceptable and future ones would also be one-sided as long as the UAE was involved in the negotiations.
The Gulf state denies it is offering support to the RSF and on Tuesday Mr Boulos said the bias Burhan spoke of was non-existent.
"He was making reference to something that does not exist, that has never been presented by us. So we have no idea what he is talking about," the AFP news agency reports Mr Boulos as saying while at a media briefing with UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.
In a video address on Sunday, Burhan said the latest peace plan proposal was "the worst ever" because it sidelines the army and "allows the Rapid Support Forces to remain".
He accused Trump's adviser of attempting to impose conditions.
"We are not advocates of war, nor do we reject peace, but no-one can threaten us or impose conditions on us," he said.
"We fear that Massad Boulos may become an obstacle to the peace sought by all Sudanese."
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