Russian ambassador to Sudan dies, Foreign Ministry confirms

Russia's envoy to Sudan, Mirgayas Shirinsky, has died in the capital, Khartoum, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday evening, confirming earlier reports that the diplomat was found dead.

Employees of the embassy discovered Shirinsky at his residence around 6pm local time, the press secretary of the Sudan mission, Sergey Konyashin, told RT.

The diplomat, who was 62 years old, appeared to have symptoms consistent with a serious heart seizure, Konyashin said, adding that doctors were immediately called to the scene, but were unable to save his life.

The diplomat’s body was taken to a morgue in a Khartoum hospital, the spokesman said, adding that procedures are now in place to arrange for its return to Russia.

Sudan's Foreign Ministry has released an official statement, expressing condolences.

"We mourn the death of Ambassador Mirgayas Shirinsky, who made friendly and sincere efforts to develop privileged relations between the two countries and their people in various spheres," the statement from the North African state says.

Shirinsky entered diplomatic service in 1977. In the early 1990s, he served as minister-counsellor at Russia's embassy in Yemen, and was later appointed consul general to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. From 2006 to 2013, he served as ambassador to Rwanda in East Africa, and then, from December 2013, was Russia's envoy to Sudan.