Wearing a blue suit, he stood in the front row for the photograph along with South African host, President Jacob Zuma, and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who is the chair of the 54-member group.

In Khartoum, Sudan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kamal Ismail, said Bashir would return home after the main session of the summit.

“Until now, things are normal and there is no risk to his Excellency, the president,” he said at a news conference.