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| DATE | 2020-12-15 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Israel and Sudan and terrorism...
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wsj.com
Israel-Sudan Deal: Sudan Removed From U.S. Terrorism List
Gabriele Steinhauser and Nicholas Bariyo
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In October, Sudan joined other Arab nations in making peace with Israel,
after reaching a deal with the Trump administration to end the African
country’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The agreement to
normalize relations further shifted the balance of power in the Middle
East and northern Africa away from Iran.
What does normalization mean for Sudan and Israel?
Sudan is joining a growing list of countries in the region that
recognize Israel as a sovereign state, ending decades of hostilities.
Getting Sudan’s backing also carries symbolic value for Israel, since
Khartoum hosted the famous 1967 Arab League summit in which eight Arab
nations approved what became known as the “Three Nos”—no peace with
Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. A
White House statement on the deal said the two countries agreed to start
economic and trade relations, which could help Sudan revive an economy
on the brink of collapse.
How was the deal brokered?
The normalization of relations followed months of discreet,
U.S.-brokered contacts between the erstwhile foes. It started with a
February meeting in Uganda between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the military
council that runs Sudan’s transitional government along with civilian
leaders. The United Arab Emirates, which also recently made peace with
Israel and which has close ties to Sudan’s military, hosted talks
between Khartoum and the U.S., including on economic assistance. What
clinched the deal, however, was a decision by the Trump administration
to make the normalization of ties with Israel a precondition for
removing Sudan from the list of states the U.S. considers sponsors of
terrorism. That designation blocked Khartoum from seeking much-needed
help from international financial organizations such as the World Bank
and imposed limits on U.S. companies doing business in Sudan.
Sudan’s Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan played a role in the agreement.
Photo: ebrahim hamid/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Why was Sudan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism?
The State Department added Sudan to the list in 1993 for allegedly
harboring terrorists, such as members of Hezbollah and al Qaeda,
including Osama bin Laden. By doing so, the U.S. says, Sudan assisted in
terrorist attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in
1998 and the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000—charges that Sudan denies. Iran,
Syria and North Korea remain on the list.
A victim is carried away after the 1998 attack on the U.S. Embassy in
Nairobi.
Photo: AP
What did Sudan have to do to get off the U.S. list?
Sudan agreed to pay $335 million for compensation to U.S. victims of the
terrorist attacks, following several years of talks between Washington
and Khartoum. In recent months, the White House also linked Sudan’s
removal from the list to normalizing ties with Israel—a demand that
Sudanese officials initially resisted. On Dec. 14, Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. had officially rescinded Sudan’s
designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
How will the agreement change U.S. relations with Sudan?
Sudan will now be able to request help from the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank and U.S. companies will have an easier time
doing business in the country. The White House also said it would help
reduce Sudan’s debt burden, which has swelled to $60 billion, or 200% of
gross domestic product. Sudanese officials said Washington pledged tens
of millions of dollars in direct support for its economy, which is
struggling with annual inflation above 200%.
What is Sudan’s strategic role in Africa?
South of Egypt, north of Ethiopia and bordering the Red Sea, Sudan sits
at a junction between the Middle East and northern and sub-Saharan
Africa. Sudan has worked with Europe and the U.S. to stop terrorism and
reduce migration and its security forces have overseen efforts to better
protect the country’s border with Libya, one of the main routes for
migrants from the Horn of Africa. Sudanese intelligence has worked with
the U.S. and others in the fight against Islamic State in Libya.
How Israel and the U.A.E. Formed a Diplomatic Relationship
0:00 / 3:19
2:16
How Israel and the U.A.E. Formed a Diplomatic Relationship
How Israel and the U.A.E. Formed a Diplomatic Relationship
Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to establish formal
diplomatic ties in a dramatic U.S.-backed shift that signaled Tel Aviv’s
warming ties with Gulf Arab states. The breakthrough gives each country
and the U.S. a chance to reshape the region. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty
Images; Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images and Emirates News Agency via
AP (Originally published Aug. 14, 2020)
Write to Gabriele Steinhauser at gabriele.steinhauser-at-wsj.com and
Nicholas Bariyo at nicholas.bariyo-at-wsj.com
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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