Russian Ambassador to Sudan dies in Khartoum

August 23, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Russia’s ambassador to Sudan, Mirgayas Shirinsky, was found dead in the swimming pool at his residence in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, the Sudanese authorities announced on Wednesday.

The foreign ministry in Khartoum announced his death and offered its condolences to the Russian government saying that Ambassador Shirinskiy “made sincere efforts to promote the distinguished relations between the two countries” in various fields.

The press secretary at the Russian embassy, Sergei Konyashin, said there were signs that the ambassador had suffered a heart attack.

“Mirgayas Shirinsky was found in his residence in a suburb of Khartoum with signs of an acute heart attack,” Konyashin told Rossiya-24 TV.

The 63-old Russian diplomat was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Sudan on 27 December 2013.

In 1977, he was graduated from the State Institute of International Relations. Since the Arabic-speaking diplomat worked in several Arab countries including Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

He is the 4th Russian ambassador to die since a year ago. The three others include Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin, 67, died on January 26 after a brief illness. Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin, 64, who died, on February 20 of a heart attack. and the Russian Ambassador to Ankara who was killed in a terrorist attack on 19 December 2016

There are also five other diplomats or Russian officials attached to the Russian foreign ministry who died or killed during this year.

(ST)