By Enyichukwu Enemanna
For the first time in about 25 years, Washington has sent a substantive Ambassador to Sudan, the US Embassy said on Wednesday.
“Ambassador John Godfrey arrived in Khartoum today to be the first US ambassador to Sudan in nearly 25 years,” the embassy said in a statement.
In 1996, the US closed its embassy in Khartoum after labeling the Arab country a state sponsor of terrorism for hosting al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at the time.
The US reopened the embassy in 2002 with diplomatic representation below the level of ambassador.
In May 2020, Sudan appointed its first ambassador to Washington after 20 years of vacancy.
Washington says the envoy will “strengthen relations between the American and Sudanese peoples and support their aspirations for freedom, peace, justice and democratic transition.”
The US administration of President Joe Biden had in November 2021, announced the appointment of Godfrey as ambassador to Khartoum.
