Sudan leaders in UAE for official visit

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, and Abdalla Hamdok, Prime minister of Sudan, arrived on Monday in the UAE on a two-day visit.

They were received in Abu Dhabi by HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, among other officials.

In August, Sudan appointed Hamdok as the new prime minister as part of a three-year transition to civilian rule. The move came following the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, the former president of Sudan who ruled the country for 30 years.

General Burhan, as chairman of the Sovereign Council which replaced the Transitional Military Council that was established after the former president was deposed, will lead a committee of six civilians and four military officers that are guiding the country through the transition period to civilian rule.

In April, shortly after Omar al-Bashir was overthrown, it was announced that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to send Sudan $3bn worth of aid, throwing a lifeline to the country’s new military leaders.

In May, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, during which Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan expressed the UAE’s backing for Sudan.