Sudan president to visit Putin in Russia

President Omar Al Bashir plans to pay “an important visit” to Moscow at an invitation from his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the second half of August.

Sudan's foreign minister Dr Ibrahim Ghandour confirmed the visit of Al Bashir to Russia on Monday, “to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels”.

Ghandour said in the press statement that the state leaders will discuss important issues including economic and commercial cooperation, coordination, political consultation and mutual support in various international forums.

The invitation to the president presents a new test of Al Bashir’s defiance of the International Crime Court in the Netherlands, which issued arrest warrants for him years ago for his repsonsibility in crimes of war and genocide in the Darfur region.

Rights advocates who have closely followed Al Bashir said it remained possible that he could cancel the trip to Russia. He has reneged on invitations before, including one from Saudi Arabia to the Arab summit in May. American diplomats had urged Al Bashir to stay away from a summit which President Donald Trump would attend.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh assigned three ministers to assume the functions of chairing the ministerial sectors and taking charge of them within the framework of the administration of the national reconciliation government.

The three ministers are Dr Ahmed Bilal, Head of the Administration Sector and Deputy Prime Minister, Mubarak El Fadil El Mahdi, Head of the Economic Development Sector and Deputy Prime Minister and Dr Sumaya Abukashawa, who is Head of Social and Cultural Development Sector.