New U.S. military attaché meets Sudan’s defence minister
March 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The newly appointed military attaché at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum Lieut. Col. Adam Matthew Cordish, Wednesday has presented his credentials to Defense Minister Awad Ibn Ouf.
Cordish would replace former U.S. defence attaché Lieut. Col. Jörn Pung whose term had ended last December.
During his reception of the new military attaché, the defence minister stressed Sudan’s keenness to promote ties with the U.S. to serve interests of the two peoples, describing relations between the two countries as important and strategic.
According to the Sudanese army spokesperson Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami, Ibn Ouf touched on some historical aspects of the military cooperation between the two countries which began in 1958.
He expressed hope the new military attaché would continue efforts of his predecessor to achieve the “desired goals”, vowing to provide every possible support to facilitate his task.
For his part, the new military attaché underscored the importance of relations between the two countries, pledging to exert every possible effort to promote ties between Washington and Khartoum.
He expressed readiness to pursue implementation of the five-track engagement plan between the two countries.
Last October President Donald Trump permanently cancelled the 20-year economic sanctions on Sudan opening the door for the normalization of bilateral relation and removal of remaining sanctions on the east African country particularly its removal from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Washington is involved in a five-track engagement process with Sudan towards the full normalization of relations.
The five-track process includes the fight against terrorism, Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Sudan’s role in the peace process in South Sudan, Sudan’s peace and the humanitarian situation in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
In March 2017, Sudan appointed a military attaché in Washington, several weeks after the arrival to Khartoum of the American military attaché.
U.S. State Department labelled Sudan a sponsor of terrorism on August 12, 1993. Sudan’s inclusion in the list of state sponsors of terrorism prevents military cooperation between the two countries.
However, the development of security cooperation between the two countries pushed them to move forward to upgrade bilateral relations despite the ban.
(ST)