The newly appointed United States special envoy for the Horn of Africa will visit five countries, including Turkey, to discuss Sudan and regional peace, the State Department said Tuesday.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield will meet with officials from Kenya, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey and Israel from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4 "to promote democratic civilian rule in Sudan and support peace and prosperity in the Horn of Africa," it said in a statement.
Most recently, the U.S. announced it would continue to withhold aid to Sudan until its military rulers stop killing anti-coup protesters and a civilian-led government takes power.
The joint statement came after a two-day visit to Sudan last week by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and Satterfield. The visit was meant to help pull the African nation out of a worsening crisis in the wake of the Oct. 25 coup.
The military takeover has upended Sudan’s transition to democratic rule after three decades of repression and international isolation under autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, ousted during a popular uprising in April 2019. While in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Phee and Satterfield met with Sudanese civilian and military leaders, as well as with families of some of the killed pro-democracy protesters. At least 72 demonstrators have been killed since the October coup.
Last year, Sudan accepted a mediation offer from Turkey to solve the African country's border disputes with Ethiopia. Ankara had stated that Turkey is willing to mediate between Ethiopia and Sudan to resolve a border dispute as well as find a peaceful resolution for the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia that has displaced tens of thousands and left millions hungry.
Former U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman also visited Turkey in late 2021. At the time, he stated that Ankara and Washington have a shared goal of stability and prosperity in the Horn of Africa in a visit to discuss international support for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ethiopia.