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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Sudan PM and Pompeo talk Israel and list removal

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Sudan PM and Pompeo talk Israel and list removal
Sudan PM and Pompeo talk Israel and list removal

[NFA] Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said he held "direct and transparent" talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Khartoum on Tuesday, including over removing Sudan from a U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list.

Soraya Ali reports.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he is not mandated to normalize ties with Israel, and the issue should not be linked to Sudan's removal from a U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list.

Pompeo arrived from Israel on what he said was the first official non-stop flight between the two countries, as the United States promotes stronger Sudan-Israel ties.

The United States has been restoring its relations with Sudan following the ousting of former Islamist leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

The country is now one year into a 39-month political transition in which the military and civilians are sharing power.

Its economy is in crisis and authorities have been pushing to be removed from a U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list, which prevents it from accessing badly needed funding from international lenders.

Pompeo's visit follows an accord between Israel and the UAE this month to forge full relations, and comes as Israel and the United States push more Arab countries to follow.

But ties with Israel are a sensitive issue in Sudan, which was among the hardline Muslim foes of Israel under Bashir.

The government sacked its foreign ministry spokesman last week after he called the UAE decision to normalize relations with Israel "a brave and bold step." According to a government spokesman, Hamdok told Pompeo that the transitional government "does not have a mandate ... to decide on normalization with Israel." Adding that the matter would be decided after Sudan's transitional bodies were formed.

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