Source: Associated Press
By MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hoping the Muslim world’s leaders join him in confronting extremist ideology when he attends a weekend summit in Saudi Arabia.
But the event could be overshadowed by a surprise attendee: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court and shunned by the United States for the past decade.
It’s not clear if al-Bashir will actually attend the meeting. Saudi officials say he has been invited. That prompted American diplomats to press Riyadh to at least avoid any situation in which Trump and Bashir are seen together, according to U.S. officials familiar with the situation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the delicate diplomacy.
Sudan’s foreign minister said Wednesday in Geneva that al-Bashir would be traveling to Riyadh and planned to attend the conference. More than 50 Muslim leaders are expected.
Categories: Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, The Muslim Times
