Sudan’s reactions to the normalization of relations with Israel were mixed

Khartoum: Sudanese reactions to the normalization of relations between their country and Israel varied between those who see it as a “betrayal” and those who believe it will pave the way for “economic prosperity.”

On Friday, Khartoum confirmed the normalization of its relations with Israel and “ending the state of hostility between them,” as stated in a tripartite statement issued by the Sudan, the United States and Israel, which was broadcast on Sudanese state television, and the agreement was described as “historic”.

“The leaders agreed to normalize relations between Sudan and Israel, end the state of hostility between them … and begin economic and trade relations,” the tripartite statement said.

The announcement sparked divisions among political forces in Sudan, which has been in a difficult transition period since the removal of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 in the wake of mass protests against his three-decade rule.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party, the largest party in the Alliance for Freedom and Change that formed the transitional government, expressed his rejection of the measure.

He withdrew from a conference organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments, dealing with issues of extremism and renewal in Islam, the first of its kind in the era of the current government.

Al-Mahdi said in a statement: “I announce my withdrawal from participating in this conference, expressing a rejection of a statement in which representatives of the transitional authority bodies participated with a US president that expired on November 3, which embodies the racism against the Islamic nation and racism against the black nation and the apartheid head of state. ” It defies international resolutions and violates international law by annexing occupied lands.

Al-Mahdi’s move came while there were no official comments from the coalition, which includes parties, civil society organizations, professional associations, and trade unions and armed movements.

For his part, Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi, a dissident politician from the Umma Party, saw normalization as a victory for the Sudanese people after suffering a long period of isolation from the world, 27 years of isolation from technology … It is a Historic agreement that lifts Sudan from the bottleneck.

On Sunday, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry announced that a joint meeting between Sudan and Israel would be held in the “coming weeks” to discuss prospects for cooperation.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “it was agreed that delegations from the two countries would meet in the coming weeks to negotiate cooperation agreements in the fields of agriculture, trade, economy, aviation, immigration matters and others. “.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Twitter on Sunday: “We look forward to a warm peace (in relations) and we will send five million dollars worth of wheat immediately to our new friends in Sudan.”

He added that the Hebrew state “will work closely with the United States to assist in the transition phase in Sudan.”

The agreement opens the door to the Sudanese economy

Osman Mirghani, a political analyst and editor of the Sudanese newspaper Al-Tayyar, said the agreement opens the door to the Sudanese economy.

“The government hoped that the removal of Sudan’s name from the list of states sponsoring terrorism would be tied to the normalization agreement, and insisted that, even if it were through Tel Aviv, to open a door to the Sudanese economy with the international community, especially the institutions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, “Mirghani told France Press.

As for Eid Abdel Moneim, who runs a company that deals with remittances, he said in a categorical tone that Sudan does not need normalization with Israel.

He believed that “normalization is a matter of national security, and no party has the right to conclude an agreement with it without referring to the people, and we do not need Israel … Our country is rich in its resources.”

In a sharp tone, a Sudanese employee, Sumaya Abdel Rahim, said: “Normalization is a betrayal of the Islamic faith … How do we get our hands on those who occupy Jerusalem?”

The normalization also opposes the Islamic Council of the Fiqh, the country’s highest Islamic religious authority.

“In the presence of 40 of the 50 members of the group, we issued a fatwa that prohibits normalization with Israel because it is an occupying country of Palestinian lands … I believe that the government will abide by this fatwa,” the secretary general of the advice, Adel Hassan Hamzah.

However, Mustafa Suleiman, who works in trade, believes that Sudan has an interest in normalization because it will lead to “economic prosperity”, without further explanation.

Sudanese businessman Abul-Qassem Bartam announced in an interview with AFP last week his intention to organize a trip of 40 Sudanese to visit Israel for five days.

In a poll prepared by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, the results of which were released earlier this month, only 13% of Sudanese supported the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sudan and Israel, while 79% opposed this measure.

“The normalization will add new fuel to the current opposition to the transitional government from supporters of the previous government, who may see overlapping interests with Islamist groups in the country,” said Jonas Horner of the International Crisis Group (ICG).

“It will be difficult for the Sudanese prime minister to seek consensus and avoid creating deeper divisions during this fragile transition period,” he added.

Muhammad Haidar, leader of the Baath Arab Socialist Party and a member of the Alliance for Freedom and Change, said the constitutional document does not allow the transitional government to take the normalization step.

However, the constitutional document signed by the military and civilians in August 2019, according to which the transitional government was formed, does not exclude Israel in the article on foreign relations.

The Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) website quoted Justice Minister Nasreddin Abdel Bari as saying that “the constitutional document does not impose restrictions other than interest, independence and balance in the exercise of government of the authority to establish and administer foreign policy, nor does it prevent the establishment of relations with Israel. “

He explained that “the normalization agreement must be approved by the legislative body or the Council of Ministers and the sovereignty in a joint meeting in case the legislative body does not establish when the final normalization agreement is signed.”

In the historical context, and after the June 1967 war during which Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in particular, the majority of Arab leaders met in Khartoum to adopt the “three no’s”: no peace, no negotiation and non-recognition of Israel.

Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi said the declaration of the agreement “contradicts Sudanese national law and the Arab national commitment.”

“The boycott of the 1967 Israeli law is still in force and I will ask the lawyer for the Umma Party to initiate legal proceedings against those who take the step,” he added.