Saudi FM state minister discusses Sudan’s crisis with U.S. officials
July 17, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs discussed the political transition in Sudan and the region with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs and US Envoy for Sudan Donald Booth.
The official Saudi news agency reported that Minister Adel Al Jubeir met with Timothy Lenderking, and Donald Booth on Wednesday to discuss “a number of regional and international issues of common interest”.
Pressed by lawmakers in the Congress and the Senate, the State Department officials hold regular meetings on Sudan with the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seeking to coordinate efforts to ensure peaceful power transition in Sudan.
Following accusations of supporting the military junta in Sudan after the collapse of al-Bashir’s regime, Riyadh voiced its support to the regional and international support to prevent a civil war in Sudan saying the Red Sea country may become a harbour for regional terrorism.
The Saudi agency did not provide further details about the meeting but this is the second visit to Saudi Arabia for the US envoy to Sudan.
On June 29, 2019, Booth met with Saudi State Minister for African Affairs Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Qattan discussed the ongoing efforts to settle the Sudanese crisis.
On 14 July, the head of Sudan’s military council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan held separate meetings with the U.S. special envoy and the Saudi Ambassador to Khartoum.
In a meeting of Sudan’s regional and international partners held in Berlin on 21 June, Saudi Arabia and UAE pledged to use their regional influence to support the African Union-led efforts for a power transfer to a transitional civilian administration.
(ST)