By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday said he had no plans to withdraw his country’s forces from war-torn Yemen.

Al-Bashir made the assertion two days after visiting Damascus and meeting with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad -- becoming the first Arab head of state to do so since the Syria conflict erupted in 2011.

“Our position [on Yemen] remains unchanged,” al-Bashir said in a statement. “We will continue exerting efforts to ensure the stability and security of the Arab region.”

He added: “Our membership in the [Saudi-led] Arab coalition, which is aimed at securing Yemen’s legitimate government, is only one example in this regard.”

Khartoum has never stated the number of Sudanese troops taking part in the coalition’s operations in Yemen.

Al-Bashir also reaffirmed his support for a peaceful solution to Yemen’s years-long crisis, in which tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians are believed to have been killed.

“We support all initiatives that seek a peaceful solution and an end to the Yemeni people’s suffering,” he said.

According to some analysts, al-Bashir’s recent visit to Damascus suggests that Khartoum is distancing itself from the Saudi/UAE axis, which has long represented the leading proponent of regime change in Syria.