Burhan awards Saudi ambassador Sudan’s top honour as decade-long tenure ends
May 20, Khartoum — Sovereignty Council Chairman and Commander-in-Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Wednesday awarded Saudi Ambassador Ali bin Hassan Jaafar the Order of the Two Niles, First Class (Wisam al-Nilayn) — Sudan’s highest state decoration — marking the end of the envoy’s nearly ten-year posting in the country.
The Sovereignty Council said in a statement that the award was granted in recognition of Jaafar’s “growing role in consolidating bonds of brotherhood and strengthening the deeply rooted bilateral relations” between the two countries. Al-Burhan and the ambassador also held a meeting to review the course of Sudan-Saudi relations and discuss ways to develop them further.
Jaafar assumed his post as Saudi ambassador to Sudan on 2 November 2016, serving through a succession of pivotal moments in the country’s recent history — including the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the protracted negotiations between the military and civilian forces, and the outbreak of war in April 2023. He also participated in the Jeddah talks, the first diplomatic initiative aimed at halting the fighting.
Following Bashir’s removal, Jaafar played a role alongside other Arab ambassadors in mediating between military leaders and civilian political forces. He was also involved in intensive consultations with army commanders and civilian leaders — alongside the ambassadors of the UAE, the United States, and the United Kingdom — in support of the mechanism that sought to resolve the political crisis following the October 2021 coup.
Al-Burhan expressed Sudan’s deep appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support of Sudanese national institutions across regional and international forums. Jaafar, for his part, said he was honoured by the recognition and expressed gratitude to the Sudanese government and people for their cooperation throughout his tenure.
Saudi Arabia has not yet announced a successor to Jaafar.
The Order of the Two Niles is among Sudan’s most prestigious state decorations, with the First Class reserved for heads of state, senior officials, ambassadors, and prominent figures in recognition of exceptional contributions.