WASHINGTON—The United States and Sudan plan to begin exchanging ambassadors after a 23-year gap, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday in the latest sign of warming relations between the two countries.
The relationship between Washington and Khartoum has improved since the overthrow in April of President Omar al-Bashir and the formation of a civilian transitional government in August.
The announcement that the two countries would begin the process of exchanging ambassadors again came during Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdoks first visit to Washington on Wednesday.
“This decision is a meaningful step forward in strengthening the U.S.-Sudan bilateral relationship, particularly as the civilian-led transitional government works to implement the vast reforms under the political agreement and constitutional declaration of August 17, 2019,” Pompeo said in a statement praising Hamdok.
The prime minister discussed strengthening ties between the United States and Sudan during his meeting in Washington with David Hale, the U.S. State Department undersecretary for political affairs.
“After a 23-year interruption, it is great to see the start of the ambassadors exchange operation between Sudan and the United States of America. This is an important step towards rebuilding Sudan,” Hamdok said on Twitter after the meeting.
Washington and Khartoum had been at odds for decades. The U.S. government added Sudan to its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 over allegations that Bashirs Islamist government was supporting terrorist groups, a designation that makes Sudan technically ineligible for debt relief and financing from the InRead More – Source
