Sudan, US signs agreement to normalize relations with Israel

Israel: Washington and Khartoum signed the “Abraham Accord” on Wednesday, leading to a process of normalizing Sudan’s relations with Israel.

Less than a month after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signed a visit to Sudan, a member of the Arab-League when Washington removed Khartoum from its blacklist as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The agreement is a result of the transitional civilian-majority government’s efforts – which took power after President Omar al-Bashir withdrew from power in April 2019 – to forge closer ties with the US. It was also an aid agreement, promising an annual World Bank financing of $ 1 billion (€ 810 million) for Sudan.

“We congratulate the citizen-led transitional government today of the Abraham Accord Declaration, which will help Sudan pursue a transformative path to stability, security, and economic opportunity,” the US Embassy in Khartoum said on Twitter.

“The agreement allows Sudan, Israel, and other signatories to the Abraham Agreement to build mutual trust and increase cooperation in the region.”

Sudan agreed to a normalization agreement with Israel in October but said it would only apply after its approval by a parliament that had not yet been formed.

“This is an essential agreement. This will have a tremendous impact on the people of Israel and Sudan people as they continue to work together on cultural and economic opportunities and trade.

At the signing ceremony, Sudan’s justice minister Nasser Abdelbadi called the agreement an important step.

“This confirms our belief that peace strengthens relations and interests among the people,” Abdelbari said in a video broadcast by the state-run SUNA news agency.

Sudan is the third Arab country to sign in accents after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain last year. Meanwhile, Morocco has also agreed to “normalize” with Israel, restoring previous relations between the two.

Israel has maintained full diplomatic relations with its two Arab neighbors, Egypt and Jordan, after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994, respectively.