Sudan has warned that the delicate normalisation affect Israel could disintegrate if the Congress doesn't pass legislation shielding the country from future lawsuits from past victims of terror attacks.When in late October Sudan agreed to become the third Arab country following the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to hitch
the so-called Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic relations with
Israel, the deal became hugely unpopular among the country’s citizens
who still support the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli
occupation.
The risk that the deal, which was announced by President Donald Trump, could collapse in but two months, underscores the transactional nature during which the present US administration has stitched together a fragile peace between some Arab countries and Israel.
When
Sudan agreed to normalise relations with Israel, it sought removal from
the US State Department's list of so-called state sponsors of
terrorism. The designation was slapped on the country in 1993 alongside
Iran, Cuba and Syria.
As a result, Sudan couldn't access emergency finance from the planet Bank, the International fund (IMF) or the other institution linked with the US economic system or that used dollars.
Sudan’s economy, as a result, has severely deteriorated due to sanctions imposed by the US, also because the economic mismanagement of its former leader, Omar al Bashir, who was toppled from power in 2019.
Since a revolt in 2019 which ended Bashir’s 30-year rule out Sudan, the transitional government has attempted to re-establish its presence on the international scene.
Soaring inflation and large debt within the
country has made opening up a necessity. That has meant that the
country’s transitional government agreed to pay $335 million to
compensate victims of the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania,
as well as the 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole, a guided missile
destroyer of the US.
For a mean Sudanese person, who had no control or say on what the Bashir government did, the settlement deal was a bitter pill to swallow.
Part of the deal towards normalisation meant an agreement to also establish ties with Israel.
The
de-facto transitional leader of Sudan, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan,
has reportedly told the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the Congress has until the top of the year to pass legislation shielding the country against future lawsuits. This could sap billions from Sudan and end in the country browsing a maze folks appeal courts.
There is a fear the incoming Biden administration might not prioritise the settlement reached by Trump’s team - this is able to leave Sudan with little leverage.
Already,
Israel has wasted no time in trying to fortify relations with Sudan. It
recently sent a delegation there, however, Khartoum is wary of moving
too fast and getting little reciprocally .
Sudan’s announcement that relations with Israel might be in jeopardy, is perhaps a symbol that it's
also trying to push Israel with its significant lobbying power in
American politics to ensure that Khartoum’s concerns are heard and the
legislation is passed.
The impasse amongst US legislators is that victims of past attacks, which will have originated from Sudan, won't receive compensation.
It’s not clear whether the standoff is because the US wants to receive extra money from Sudan and thus is using the leverage it's to try to to so. Equally, Sudan is using anonymous leaks to stipulate that its opening up to Israel depends on whether it's protected against lawsuits.
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