Completing a process that has been long in the making, on July 14 the US Senate finally confirmed John Godfrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, as the country’s new ambassador to Sudan. Godfrey, who is expected to assume his post in Khartoum imminently, will become the first fully ranked US ambassador to Sudan in 25 years.

Godfrey has extensive experience in the Middle East region as he previously held several positions at the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including acting deputy chief of mission and political counselor. He also served as deputy political counselor at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and was previously stationed with the US mission in Libya.

In his certificate of competency, the State Department primarily valued his experience in security matters, given that prior to assuming the position of ambassador to Sudan Godfrey served as acting counterterrorism coordinator and as acting special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Islamic State) in the department’s Counterterrorism Bureau.

“His demonstrated ability to work effectively across interagency lines on complex counterterrorism issues, his knowledge of Africa and the Middle East, and his experience as a leader in the field — including in challenging security environments — make him a well-qualified candidate to be the US Ambassador [to Sudan],” the certificate read.