Sudan to reopen Baghdad embassy

KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 02, 2004 (UPI) — Sudan announced Friday it was resuming diplomatic relations and reopening its embassy in Baghdad, three days after an Iraqi interim government took over.

Diplomatic sources told UPI that the government decided to restore diplomatic relations with Iraq after official powers were handed over to the Iraqi government under Iyad Allawi on June 28.

The Sudanese foreign ministry appointed a charge d’affaires to run its Baghdad embassy which is expected to reopen later July.

Khartoum pulled out its diplomats and closed down its mission in the Iraqi capital on the eve of the U.S.-led war that toppled the Baath party regime of former President Saddam Hussein.

The Sudanese government has welcomed the power handover in Iraq and said it hopes the move is a step towards recovering Iraq’s total sovereignty.