A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniya, is in Sudan on an official visit.

Sudan's official SUNA news agency reported that Haniya planned to take part in a forum on the future of Jerusalem.

SUNA said Haniya was greeted late Tuesday at an airport in Khartoum by Ibrahim Ahmed Umar, an advisor to President Omar al-Bashir.

The news agency did not elaborate on who Haniya would meet or how long he would stay in the country. But the French news agency quoted a presidential official as saying Haniya would meet with Mr. Bashir, but not on Wednesday.

Sudan has close ties with Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

In the past, officials from Middle East-based Islamic militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have voiced support for President Bashir and Sudan's government.