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The situation in Sudan was then quite deplorable. The economy is collapsing. Inflation is rampant. Fear of the food crisis throughout the country. But US President Donald Trump and the Israeli government seem to see an opportunity for them here.
After 18 months of nonviolent movement to overthrow Sudanese ruler Omar al-Bashir, the country’s democratic aspirations are hanging by a thread.
Sudan is still listed in the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism. But if Sudan recognizes Israel, the Sudan name will be removed from the list. This will open many avenues for Sudan to stabilize its economy.
Sudan’s history is complex, with a long 30-year history. Since the Islamist government came to power in Sudan.
President Omar al-Bashir seized power in a military coup in 1979. When he came to power, he turned Khartoum into a center for extremist ideology throughout the world.
Al Qaeda and other extremist groups have established bases in Sudan. They attacked the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and elsewhere.
Then in 1993, when the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center took place in New York, the United States identified Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
CIA cooperation
International sanctions were imposed against Sudan. Neighboring countries support the rebel groups in Sudan. This puts pressure on Sudan. They were forced to expel Osama bin Laden and other jihadists three years later.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Sudan’s security intelligence agencies became very valuable to the US CIA and cooperation began.
In exchange for this cooperation, Sudan’s name should be removed from the list of countries that support terrorism.
But members of the United States Congress are still furious at Khartoum for various reasons. One of the reasons for this is the war that the Sudanese government continues to wage in Darfur. There were reports of widespread human rights violations. So the name of Sudan remained on this list.
The government of Omar al-Bashir is still doing a lot on the ground. They have maintained relations with Iran and Hamas. Israeli warplanes have attacked a convoy of vehicles off the Red Sea coast of Sudan at least twice. These vehicles carried weapons for Hamas. In 2016, under pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Omar al-Bashir was forced to sever ties with Iran.
But even after last year’s democratic revolution in Sudan, the United States has been slow to change its position. Officials at the US State Department wanted to maintain their strongest means of lobbying. At the same time, they thought that the new democratic regime would not last long.
Senators stalled
But maintaining sanctions on Sudan could have the opposite effect. Due to these sanctions, the country could become a failed state.
As long as Sudan’s name is on the blacklist, economic sanctions will continue against the country. As a result, Sudan will be economically paralyzed.
Sudan’s legitimate trade appears to be hampered by the embargo. Foreign investment is stagnant. The IMF and the World Bank have nothing to do with bailing Sudan out of its massive £ 6.02bn debt load, which is growing by the day.
The problem of hunger in Sudan is also terrifying. According to the United Nations, 9.7 million people in the country are facing a serious food security crisis.
Then everything stopped due to the Kovid-19 epidemic. The floods affected Sudan. The situation seemed to get worse.
Such a crisis cannot be addressed simply by distributing food. Extensive financial assistance is needed to overcome this crisis.
In recent months, the US Congress has been trying to reach a compromise to remove Sudan from the list of terrorist states. The effort was halted due to objections from the families of those who have been the victims of al-Qaeda attacks in East Africa and Yemen. They demanded compensation.
Sudan agreed to pay £ 335 million in compensation. But in September, two Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer and Bob Menendez, blocked the initiative. Because they wanted to keep the opportunity open for the families of the victims of the Nine-Eleven incident to file a lawsuit.
Then the Trump administration made a proposal to Sudan to leave here.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also visited Khartoum in late August. He made a proposal to Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdak that if Sudan recognizes Israel, President Trump will try to remove obstacles in the way of this deal in Congress.
Last month, the UAE recognized Israel. Sudan is a member of the Arab League. If they make the same decision, they will be the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel after the United Arab Emirates.
If that happened before the elections in the United States, it would be a great achievement for the Trump administration. The Trump administration is working hard to normalize Israel’s relations with the Arabs.
On the other hand, recognizing Israel would be a huge and important step for Sudan.
Good deal for generals
Islamists are fiercely opposed to such an agreement with Israel. But now they have no power. But the issue of normalizing relations with Israel is controversial, not only for Islamists, but for all parties in Sudanese politics. Many parts of the civil political alliance believe that first of all there must be a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Prime Minister Hamdak knows that if he decides to normalize relations with Israel, his civil alliance will unravel.
He told the visiting US secretary of state that the decision could not be made until a new democratic government came to power through elections. This election is supposed to take place in three years.
Although Hamdak and his civilian government run the country, real power in Sudan is still in the hands of the generals.
The ‘Transitional Council’ that exists in Sudan is headed by Lt. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. His deputy is Lieutenant. General Mohammad Hamdan Dagulo, known to the people as Hemati. The Sudanese army is under two of them. Financial control of the government is also in your hands. Behind this interim council is the support of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
The talks that are taking place with Israel are mainly with these generals. Last February, General Burhan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He did so without informing the Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdak. The two are expected to reunite soon.
General Burhan and General Hemati see the initiative to negotiate with the United States and Israel as an opportunity for them. These generals aspire to international recognition, but they want it without bothering with democracy. If Israel and the United States can negotiate, they think, it is possible.
And that is why activists in Sudan’s democracy have demanded that any such deal be carefully scrutinized.
When Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a massive uprising last year, General Burhan and General Hemeti took over. Two months later, his forces shot and killed about 100 protesters.
Then it created widespread outrage. The two generals later agreed to share power with a civilian cabinet, mediated by the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
‘Individual problem’
The point is that Sudanese generals tolerate this civil administration simply because they need international recognition. On the other hand, the common people of Sudan have not forgiven the brutality and unprincipled behavior of these generals.
However, the older generation of people in Sudan remember an operation called ‘Operation Moses’. In 1974, a secret agreement was reached between the then president of Sudan, Jafar Nimeri, and Israel. Under the agreement, Israel was able to airlift Ethiopian Jews who had taken refuge in refugee camps in Sudan. Jafar Nimeri was later alleged to have pocketed millions of dollars in bribes from the Israeli secret service Mossad.
The nexus of bureaucrats and businessmen that developed during Omar al-Bashir’s reign in Sudan controlled a huge business empire. These commercial alliances are strengthened day by day.
When Sudan’s central bank ran out of money and couldn’t pay its staff, they turned to these generals. If this bureaucratic collusion is exposed now, the corruption that has plundered the wealth of these people in Sudan will continue.
But the recognition of another Arab state is certainly a great reward for the Israelis. But not to the young Israelis and Americans who protested Sudan’s atrocities in Darfur 15 years ago. The generals who led these militias are responsible for the atrocities and consider it a wrong moral act to give them legitimacy.
However, Hamdak’s position is quite logical. The removal of Sudan from the list of terrorist states and the recognition of Israel are two very different issues.
It says that Sudan must be removed from the list of terrorist countries now. Because Sudan has taken the terrorists off its soil. Because democracy in Sudan must be protected.
And if Israel is recognized as a truly democratic Arab state, that will be the real reward for Israel. BBC
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