Nurul Husna Atirah, Research Intern, Foreign Policy and Diaspora Studies Lab
nhatirah@africacfsp.org

Sudan’s removal from the US State Sponsor or Terrorism List (SST) and the normalization of relations with Israel are two novel aspects of Sudanese foreign affairs that may prove especially significant in shaping the country’s future. While the normalization of ties with Israel was prematurely forced onto the government by the US, the overall outcome has the potential to help move the country forward.

In April 2019, a military coup ousted Sudan’s longtime authoritarian leader, Omar al-Bashir, after nearly 30 years in power. Bashir’s regime had been accused of a variety of transgressions, including supporting terrorism, human rights abuses, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The coup resulted in Bashir’s arrest, the dissolution of Sudan’s government, the suspension of the constitution, and eventually a power-sharing agreement for a transitional government to facilitate a return to civilian rule. Under the power-sharing agreement, the military rules the joint council for the first 21 months, and will relinquish power to civilian rule for the final 18 months in preparation for democratic elections in 2022.

Since the collapse of al-Bashir’s regime, the future of Sudan has remained incredibly fragile. Thus, balancing foreign and domestic issues are important for the transitional government in building a better future for the country. Sudan’s recognition of the state of Israel and the US’s decision to remove Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) are two novel aspects that should be highlighted in understanding the impacts of foreign affairs on the country’s future.

The removal of Sudan from the SST

Sudan was originally placed on the SST by the US in 1993 due to the country’s support for Islamist militants, including Al-Qaeda. The listing resulted in restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions. These sanctions prevented transactions using US currency or products. In practice, this meant any business operating in the US was not able to trade with Sudan. Most international banks ceased operating in Sudan, and the state was unable to import crucial goods, such as parts to repair eroding railroad tracks or update the country’s aging fleet of locomotives.

On December 14, 2020, the US announced that Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism was officially rescinded after Sudan agreed to recognize the State of Israel and pay compensation to the families of victims of the 1998 US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. These agreements were the result of tense negotiations and persistent pressure from the Trump administration for Sudan to recognize Israel in return for increased U.S. support. For the Sudanese citizens experiencing severe economic hardship, food insecurity, and a fledgling democracy, the fact that Sudan was first required pay $335 million in restitution for sins committed by the previous government has been seen as an unfair punishment upon the new government.

Despite the aforementioned criticism of the agreement, Sudan still stands to gain. The United States has offered Sudan a range of assistance, including humanitarian aid, increased trade and investment, and debt relief. The agreement has opened the door for multilateral engagement during a critical moment for the country. Sudan is now finally able to return to the world stage after three decades of international isolation.

Sudan-Israel Normalization

Sudan-Israeli relations have historically been hostile. Sudan’s forces waged war against Israel during 1948 Arab–Israeli War then again during Six-Day War in 1967, and is infamously known for the Khartoum Resolution’s “Three No’s”: No Peace with Israel, No recognition of Israel, and No negotiations with Israel. However, in an abrupt reversal of this trend, Sudan’s transitional government normalized relations with Israel on October 23, 2020. Although the agreement is historic on the surface, it does not represent a sudden end to Sudan’s anti-Israeli sentiment. This US-brokered agreement was more complicated and less concrete than those between Israel and Bahrain or the UAE. Hatred toward Israel is still widespread, and the agreement did not promise any exchange of embassies nor improvement upon cultural relations between the two ratifiers. The deal was primarily a product of U.S. leverage against Sudan, using the country’s poor economic situation and political uncertainty in order to coerce Sudan into the agreement with Israel.

The normalization of relations, if it survives the test of time, stands to benefit Sudan in a variety of ways. Firstly, the ties may help the country economically. General Hemetti, deputy head of state, stated that relations with Israel provided the potential for increased investment in sectors such as agriculture. Others believe Israel is potentially able to offer Sudan a plethora of economic support including financial aid, investment in technology such as desalination and healthcare, and the ability to lobby multilateral lending institutions on Sudan’s behalf.

Secondly, the deal strengthens Sudan’s economic ties with the Gulf states and embodies a growing anti-Iranian sentiment in the region. Al-Bashir’s regime had historically close ties with Iran throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The growth of Iranian-Sudanese ties in areas such as defense, trade, and religion created considerable discomfort in Western capitals and in the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain). However, Sudan’s prolonged economic crises brought an abrupt end to warm relations with Iran in 2014 as Khartoum sought to improve relations with the wealthy GCC states in the hopes of increased economic support. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have since remained major aid donors to Sudan; and Sudan’s entry into the Abraham Accords, a joint statement between the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan to normalize relations with Israel, pulls the country further into the GCC orbit, and farther away from Iran.

Conclusion

Sudan’s delisting from the SST and the normalization of relations with Israel are two interconnected aspects of Sudan’s novel foreign relations that mark a significant shift from longstanding policy. Freedom from the SST designation has allowed Sudan to reenter the international community and gives the transitional government more tools in its attempt to rebuild the country. However, the normalization of relations with Israel was not welcomed by all in Sudan. Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Khartoum and burned the Israeli flag in front of the headquarters of the Ministerial Council in October 2020. Subsequent protests have taken place since. The combined impact of the removal from the SST, Sudan’s recognition of the state of Israel, as well as to the USD $335 million owed in restitution, puts an unjust burden on the new transitional government. Still, opposition to Sudan’s relations have not yet had any significant negative impact and things are moving ahead smoothly. Eli Cohen, Israel’s intelligence minister conducted an official visit to Sudan for the first time on January 25, 2021, in which a memorandum of understanding on security-related issues was signed and an invitation to Israel was extended to Sudanese leaders. The way in which Sudan normalized relations with Israel and negotiated its removal from the SST may not have been ideal, however, Sudan seems to finally be headed in the right direction.