US confirms first ambassador to Sudan in 25 years
John Godfrey has experience in the region and hopes to support efforts to return Sudan to a democratic transition, yet the leeway he will ultimately have remains to be seen.
Completing a process that has been long in the making, on July 14 the US Senate finally confirmed John Godfrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, as the country’s new ambassador to Sudan. Godfrey, who is expected to assume his post in Khartoum imminently, will become the first fully ranked US ambassador to Sudan in 25 years.
Godfrey has extensive experience in the Middle East region as he previously held several positions at the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including acting deputy chief of mission and political counselor. He also served as deputy political counselor at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and was previously stationed with the US mission in Libya.
