Biden picks first ambassador to Sudan for decades
January 26, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – President Joe Biden plans to nominate John Godfery, a career diplomat, as the first U.S. ambassador to Sudan for almost a quarter of a century, the White House announced on Wednesday.
In May 2002, the US reopened its embassy in Khartoum with a Chargé d’affaires until now. In December 2019 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged to reappoint a new ambassador to Sudan.
President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate John Godfrey, for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Sudan, said the White House.
The nomination of a new ambassador to Sudan comes as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing about U.S. policy in the wake of the 25th October coup on Tuesday, February 1.
Under the U.S. Constitution, a nominated ambassador must be confirmed by Congress. Also, the political or career nominees should undergo an investigation process.
So, Ambassador Godfery could wait for months before a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the same before a vote in the full Senate.
John T. Godfrey is currently the Acting Counterterrorism Coordinator and the Acting Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in the Counterterrorism Bureau at the U.S. Department of State.
Previously, he served as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of State.
Also, the diplomat who speaks Arabic served in Baghdad, Iraq, Tripoli Libya, and Damascus, Syria besides other international organisations.
In May 2020, Sudan appointed Noureldin Sati, as its first ambassador to the U.S. But he was relieved last November by the coup leader in Sudan because he and other diplomats condemned the military takeover and voiced their support for the civilian-led government.
The White House in the same statement also announced that Michael Adler has been picked as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of South Sudan to replace David Renz, the current U.S. Ambassador to Juba.
(ST)