Russian ambassador to Sudan found dead at residence

By Emre Gurkan Abay and Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi

MOSCOW / ISTANBUL

Russia's ambassador to Sudan, Mirgayas Shirinskiy, was found dead at his residence in Khartoum on Wednesday, according to Russian Foreign Ministry.

It remains unclear what caused the 62-year-old diplomat to die. However, the ministry said in a statement that the circumstances of Shirinskiy’s death will be released immediately as soon as they have detailed information.

Sudanese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Garibullah al-Hadar also verified the news and expressed condolences to the Russian people, government and relatives of Shirinskiy.

Al-Hadar stated that Shirinskiy made a lot of effort to develop relations between Russia and Sudan since he was appointed to the Khartoum embassy in 2013.