The US and Sudan to raise diplomatic representation

The US secretary of state Colin Powell said that the US proposed to the Sudanese government that the two countries are to cooperate in what can lead to raising the level of US diplomatic representation in Khartoum.

News reports quoted Powell as saying on Thursday before a branch committee at the US Senate that the US administration had made internal discussions in the White House this week over appointing a special envoy for Sudan or an ambassador in Sudan but it has not reached a solution.

Powell promised to make an overall evaluation of the US policy towards Sudan, noting that the US is studying the nature of the official representation that can be put in Khartoum and that the US is trying this through reciprocated steps between the two sides.

However, despite the fact that Washington studies sending an ambassador to Khartoum, Powell said that there are complications concerning this high level of diplomatic representation in this phase. He gave no details.

Worthy mentioning that the US withdrew its diplomats from Khartoum in 1996 and since then it sends a diplomat to stay for a short time and then to be replaced by another diplomat.