US Official to Visit Sudan, Day After First Israeli Lawmaker’s Official Visit

Amb. Andrew Young, deputy to the commander of US Africa Command, will be the first US military official to visit Sudan since its removal from the United States’ State Sponsors of Terror list.

Young, the deputy for civil-military engagement, is scheduled to arrive Tuesday for a two-day visit and is expected to meet with key figures in Sudan’s transitional government, including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Abd al-Fattah Al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, the body currently ruling the country, Al-Arabiya reported. The ambassador will reportedly discuss improving Sudan’s defensive capabilities, as well as improving regional stability.

Former President Trump removed Sudan from the terror-sponsor list in December 2020, after Sudan agreed to compensate the victims of the 1998 twin bombings of US embassies in Africa. This change also has been tied to the country’s recent normalization agreement with Israel, and comes after more than two decades during which the country was under sanctions for its alleged support of terrorism.

On Monday, Israel’s Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen led an official Israeli delegation to Sudan to discuss moving forward on the U.S.-brokered normalization deal announced in October. It is the first official visit to Sudan by an Israeli lawmaker, according to Israeli news reports.  The delegation met with Sudanese officials to discuss diplomatic and security issues, as well as economic cooperation, Cohen said in a statement. Sudan did not comment on the reports.