New US chargé d’affairs assumes office in Khartoum

May 30, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The newly appointed US chargé d’affairs assumed office in Khartoum today. He replaces Alberto Fernandez who headed this post since 2007.

Robert E. Whitehead is expected to meet the Presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Eddin Attabani who is also in charge with Darfur peace process and concerned officials at the ministry of foreign affairs in Khartoum.

Whitehead, who is a career Foreign Service Officer, has served at nine overseas posts, most recently as the first Consul General in Juba, in 2006, and as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires to Khartoum, from 2004-2005.

Prior to his recent assignment to Khartoum, he served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the State Department Inspector General and as Director of the Office of Africa Analysis in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR).

His foreign languages are French, Romanian and some Arabic.

The US chargé d’affairs joined the State Department in 1983. He obtained his M.A. in English Literature and linguistics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where he was a graduate fellow.

(ST)