US Congressional Delegation Visits Khartoum, Backs Transition

President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
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US Congressional Delegation Visits Khartoum, Backs Transition

President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)

Two high-ranking US officials said on Tuesday their visit to Khartoum aims at expressing support for the transition in Sudan and to follow up on Washington’s decision to make another $700 million available until Sept 2022 for assistance to the country.

Senator Chris Van Hollen and Senator Christopher Coons, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Khartoum Monday on a two-day visit.

They met with President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and a number of ministers to discuss tension on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia and obstacles in the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

“During talks with Hamdok, the US delegation expressed its deep concern over the tension on border issues between Sudan and Ethiopia and its repercussions on both countries,” Cabinet Affairs Minister Khalid Omer Yousif told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The US officials said Washington was willing to mediate in the dispute and contribute to reaching a peaceful agreement that meets the interests of all parties.

The minister said the senators also discussed US development aid to Sudan.

Following talks with the PM, he invited them to an Iftar, Yousif said.

The US delegation also discussed with the PM ways of boosting bilateral relations between the two countries.

Also on Tuesday, the delegation met with Burhan, who briefed them on Sudan’s vision to resolve differences on GERD through dialogue and on the border dispute with neighboring Ethiopia.

He also stressed the importance of allowing aid groups to provide services to Ethiopian refugees in eastern Sudan camps.

The two senators, which are expected to visit the camps on Wednesday, commended the role of the TSC President in leading the transition in Sudan.



Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
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Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed.

The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group.

"We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement, AFP reported.

The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added.

Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack -- the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges.

Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.