After the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, Sudan. On his return from an official visit to Khartoum, the first for an Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, said Thursday, February 2, to have “agreed” with Sudan “to sign a peace treaty”. The signing “is expected to take place after the transfer of power in Sudan to a civilian government to be established as part of the ongoing transition process in the country”, the minister specified.
After the fall of dictator Omar Al-Bashir in 2019, civilians and soldiers shared power in Sudan until October 25, 2021, when General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Al-Bourhane took power following a ‘a coup. The democratic transition has since been interrupted, political dialogue is at an impasse, and the repression carried out by the security forces has killed more than 120 activists opposed to the putsch. Mr. Cohen met in the Sudanese capital the general, de facto leader of the country since the putsch, and the minister appointed by the latter as head of diplomacy, Ali Al-Sidiq.
Adherence to the Abraham Accords
In January 2021, Sudan expressed its adherence to the Abraham Accords, concluded in 2020 under the aegis of US President Donald Trump, by which three other Arab states recognized Israel, while civilians and soldiers still shared power in Sudan. The country had thus broken with the inflexible position of Omar Al-Bashir, a great enemy of the Jewish state and long close to the Palestinian movement Hamas.
With these agreements, Khartoum, banned from the international community during a long embargo under Bashir, had obtained financial aid from the United States, a few weeks after its withdrawal from the American list of States accused of financing terrorism.
Ratification suspended
Unlike the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, however, Sudan has not followed up the agreement so far with concrete steps to deepen ties. And formal ratification by elected institutions has yet to take place, with the country in the midst of a political doldrums. “Signing a peace agreement will serve both countries, it will strengthen Israel’s national security, regional stability and help the economy,” Eli Cohen added.
According to the Sudanese sovereignty council, chaired by Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Al-Bourhane, the latter and Mr. Cohen discussed “ways to establish fruitful relations” and “possible projects of cooperation” in fields as varied as security. , agriculture, energy, health, water and education.
“Israel will work after the signing [of the peace treaty] to help Sudan’s development efforts in agriculture, water, medicine,” Cohen confirmed. Signing a peace agreement will serve both countries, it will strengthen Israel’s national security, regional stability and help the economy. We are ending seventy-five years of hostility with Israel. »
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