The top U.S. diplomat for Africa on Wednesday joined an international effort to press Sudan’s military rulers and the opposition toward a deal on a transition to democracy two months after the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir.
Tibor Nagy, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Africa, met on Wednesday with the main opposition coalition and held talks with Sudan’s acting Deputy Foreign Minister Ilham Ibrahim.
Before the meetings, the State Department said Nagy was going to urge the parties to work toward an environment conducive to the resumption of negotiations. The United States also on Wednesday named veteran diplomat Donald Booth as its envoy to Sudan.
Booth’s appointment is a demonstration that “the United States has a firm commitment to the Sudanese people and efforts to advance a peaceful political solution,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Ortagus told reporters in Washington. In Khartoum, Nagy and Booth will “call for a cessation of attacks against civilians and urge parties” to resume talks.
The bloodshed has drawn expressions of concern from world powers including the United States, which imposed sanctions on Sudan under Bashir over its alleged support for militant groups and the civil war in Darfur.
