The United States announced it would increase its diplomatic representation in Sudan, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said earlier this week.
He told reporters that the US State Department would upgrade and make resident its diplomatic representation in Sudan, however added his government was not "specifically informed of the level to which the US diplomatic representation in Sudan will be raised."
The United States has recently stepped up diplomatic efforts in Sudan, with President Bush in September naming former Senator John Danforth to the region to work to end the 18-year old civil war pitting mostly Christian and animist southern rebels against the regime in Khartoum, AFP said.
Meanwhile, the official SUNA agency reported a month ago that the US ambassador to Sudan, withdrawn by Washington in 1996 over charges the African country was sponsoring terrorism, would return to Khartoum "in the near future".
Washington withdrew its diplomats from the capital Khartoum in 1996 following allegations that Sudan was supporting terrorism, however left a charge d'affaires who is resident in Nairobi and pays a monthly 7- to 10-day visit to Khartoum to run the embassy functions. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
