Sudanese army chief discusses joint cooperation in Washington
October 13, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Army’s Chief of General Staff Kamal Abdel-Marouf has discussed with several U.S. officials at the Departments of State and Defence bilateral relations and issues of common concern.
Abdel-Marouf has arrived in Washington last week at the invitation of the Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff of USA, General Joseph Dunford, to participate in a meeting on counter-terrorism organized by the U.S. Army.
According to a statement seen by Sudan Tribune Friday, the Sudanese army said the discussions were held in the presence of Sudan’s Ambassador to Washington Mohamed Attal al-Mawla.
It pointed out that Abdel-Marouf met with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Alan Patterson in the presence of two advisors to the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
Also, he met with the Director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Army Lieutenant General Robert Ashley in the presence of Director of Africa Department at the agency Stephen Hall.
Abdel-Marouf pointed out that the meetings discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern as well as the progress made on the five-track engagement plan between the two countries.
“We discussed Sudan’s positive role in combating terrorism, human trafficking, illegal migration and cross-border crime besides its joint efforts with neighbouring countries to achieve regional peace which culminated in the peace agreement that ended the conflict in South Sudan”, he said
It is noteworthy that Abdel-Marouf on Friday has inaugurated the Sudanese military attaché headquarters in Washington.
He praised the efforts of military attaché Abu Zar Daffallah, vowing to support the attaché in order to carry out its tasks and duties in the next period.
In April 2017, Sudan participated for the first time in the meeting of the United States Africa Command known as “AFRICOM”. At the time, the Sudanese army Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Emad al-Din Mustafa Adawi took part in a meeting of AFRICOM chiefs of general staff in Stuttgart, Germany.
Last Wednesday 19 September, the U.S. State Department released its report on terrorism which has kept Sudan on the list of states sponsoring terrorism. However, Washington said Khartoum remains a partner in the counter-terrorism.
After the left of economic sanctions on Sudan in October 2017, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan, was in Khartoum in November of the same year to launch the second phase of the normalization process and pointed to the need for reforms on human rights and religious freedom.
The east African nation was placed on the U.S. terrorism list in 1993 over allegations it was harbouring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets.
(ST)