Sudan President Underscores Commitment to Yemen Campaign

ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO — May 24, 2018, 9:21 AM ET

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir speaks during the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Sudan's official news agency says President Omar al-Bashir has underscored Sudan's commitment to a Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen, three weeks after Khartoum said it's reconsidering its participation in the war.

SUNA quoted al-Bashir as saying during a Wednesday meeting with the Saudi assistant defense minister that economic difficulties will not stop Sudan from its "role in restoring legitimacy in Yemen."

Sudan's Defense Minister Ali Mohammed Salem told parliament earlier this month that the benefits and drawbacks of Sudan's participation were under evaluation amid calls for the troops' withdrawal following reports of mounting casualties among Sudanese troops.

The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, known as Houthis, since 2015 in a stalemated war that has killed more than 10,000 people.