US Approves Sudan Ambassador, First in 23 Years

US approves a Sudan ambassador, the first in 23 years. (AFP)
US approves a Sudan ambassador, the first in 23 years. (AFP)
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US Approves Sudan Ambassador, First in 23 Years

US approves a Sudan ambassador, the first in 23 years. (AFP)
US approves a Sudan ambassador, the first in 23 years. (AFP)

Sudan announced Monday that the United States had approved Khartoum's pick of a veteran diplomat as ambassador to Washington, the first such envoy in over two decades.

Ties between Khartoum and Washington had been strained during the three-decade rule of Omar al-Bashir, but eased after he was ousted by the army last year following mass protests.

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok visited Washington in December and the two countries agreed to exchange envoys.

In a statement, Sudan's foreign ministry said Monday "the US government approved the nomination of Nour Eddin Satti as an ambassador and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sudan."

A veteran diplomat, Satti served as Sudan's ambassador to France in the 1990s and later worked with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Congo and Rwanda.

Monday's step of recognizing Satti as Sudan's first to Washington since 1998 comes as part of "normalizing relations" between Khartoum and Washington, the ministry said.

Sudan is currently ruled by a transitional administration that took power in August last year after Bashir's fall.

During Bashir’s rule, Washington slapped sanctions on Sudan and designated the country as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Hamdok's government has sought to bolster its international standing and mend ties with the US.

In February, Khartoum agreed to compensate the families of American victims of a suicide bombing targeting navy destroyer USS Cole in Yemen's Aden harbor in 2000.

The attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda.

The US had for years accused Sudan, which once hosted the global network's leader Osama bin Laden, of training and supporting the attackers.

Sudan always denied the charges but agreed to the settlement to fulfil a key US condition to remove it from Washington's terrorism blacklist.

The 1993 designation by Washington has decimated Sudan's economy.



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.