The Vice President of South Sudan, Dr Riek Machar, is to pay an official visit to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Sunday.

Machar’s visit has been planned for some time, but a firm date had yet to be agreed upon. Sudanese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ambassador Abubakar Siddiq announced on Thursday that the decision for Sunday was made “following consultations conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Presidency of the Republic”.

In a press statement, he explained that “the consultations between Sudan’s Foreign Ministry and the Juba Presidency were to select the most appropriate date for Vice President Machar’s visit as indicated with the stakeholders”.

He further confirmed his Ministry has received a formal proposal from the Government of the South Sudan on the date of the visit.

Ambassador Siddiq: “The eminent expected visit of South Sudan’s Vice President and his accompanying delegation to Khartoum is expected to awaken and develop relations between Sudan and South Sudan.”

File photo: South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar

Related coverage:

No date set for Machar’s visit to Khartoum (19 June)

Machar to remain part of talks with Khartoum (24 April 2013)

Document: Mechanisms for monitoring the cooperation agreement (24 April 2013)