Foreign Secretary James Cleverley cuts short trips to Pacific to deal with Sudan crisis

of British High Commission of Wellington Cleverly said he made a series of phone calls from his office.

he departed new zealand I skipped the scheduled visit the day before I was due to meet Nanaia Mahuta. Samoa dive directly from solomon islands.

“It is with great regret that we had to cut short our visit due to the ongoing situation in Sudan,” Cleverley said in a statement. “I learned a lot about the region, its opportunities and challenges.”

“I have spoken with Foreign Minister Mahuta and told him how disappointed I was at having to leave early and he has agreed to reschedule as soon as possible. .”

The Sudanese military on Thursday denied talks with rival militias, saying it would only accept surrender as the two sides continued to fight in central Khartoum and other parts of the country.

The High Commission said Mr Cleverley will continue to oversee the Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Agency’s response to violence in Sudan, providing support to local staff and consular services to British citizens.

The UK has historical ties with Sudan. Although Britain and Egypt jointly ruled Sudan from 1899 until its independence in 1956, Sudan is not included in the Commonwealth of 56 countries.