US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Sudan, meet Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be visiting Sudan as well as a number of Middle Eastern nations between August 23-28. During his visit, Secretary Pompeo will meet Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan in an effort to discuss the United States’s continued support for Sudan's civilian-led transitional government.

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Pompeo's Sudan Visit

At present, Sudan is on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism and this means that the country has a hard time getting debt-relief as well as attracting international investment. However, Sudan’s transitional government plans to change that status with Pompeo's visit. The African country has been trying to repair its relations with the United States since it overthrew former leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

As per reports, only last week Sudan fired its foreign ministry spokesman after he termed the Israel and UAE deal ‘a bold step’. Under President Omar al-Bashir’s government, Sudan’s relations with the US have reached its historic best. Since Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is reported to have lived in Sudan for 5 years in the 1990s as a guest of President Omar, the upcoming visit by the US Sec of State represents a big change it the relations between both countries.

In addition to Sudan, Secretary Pompeo will also visit Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. As per the official statement, Pompeo will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem in order to discuss security-related issues as well as ‘Iran’s malicious influence’. He will also meet Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifaat at Manama and then finally “the United Arab Emirates, where he will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi”.

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