Sudan Appoints Ambassador to US

Khartoum, MINA – Sudan appointed its first ambassador to the United States for almost a quarter of century, his foreign ministry said Monday, May 4.

The step is in an effort to normalize relations after decades of tension.

Both countries pledged to improve relations after the fall of Omar al-Bashir in last year’s uprising.

The Sudanese foreign ministry said it had chosen Noureldin Sati, a veteran diplomat, as ambassador in Washington and the US government had approved his candidacy. Thus quoted from Al-Arabiya on Wednesday, May 6.

A State Department representative refused to provide further explanation, and said he did not have specific information about it. But called December’s decision to exchange ambassadors a “historic step.”

The two countries have for almost a quarter century only appointed diplomatic ranks under ambassadors, to run their embassies in Washington and Khartoum.

In December, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two countries would exchange ambassadors.

The US Ambassador will be nominated by President Donald Trump and needs to be confirmed by the US Senate.

The US government added Sudan to the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 on accusations the Bashir government was supporting extremist militant groups. This makes Sudan ineligible for debt assistance and much-needed financing from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Last year, a senior State Department official said the United States might remove Sudan from the list, but the US Congress needs to ratify the move. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)