The head of Sudan’s ruling council has led a high-level delegation to the United Arab Emirates for separate talks with U.S officials and Emirati, including discussions on its removal from the U.S’s list of countries sponsoring terrorism”, according to state media.
The Sudanese state news agency SUNA disclosed that General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, head of the sovereign council which has been ruling the country since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir last year, will hold talks with the UAE’s leadership on “all regional issues related to Sudan”.
It added that Sudanese Justice Minister Naser-Eddin Abdelbari will meet U.S officials present in Abu Dhabi to discuss the removal of Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism, support of the transitional period and writing off American debts”.
The Axios website did, however, report that there will be a decisive meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday which will have in attendance US, Emirati and Sudanese officials. This would be to discuss “possible normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel”, similar to the U.S-brokered deals struck by the UAE and Bahrain in recent weeks.
Citing anonymous sources, Axios said besides the terror delisting, Sudan’s transitional government is asking for “over $3bn in humanitarian assistance and direct budgetary aid” in return for a deal with Israel.
It also seeks to have the U.S and the UAE to commit to providing Sudan with economic aid over the next three years”, Axios reported on Sunday.
In August, U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the issue of Sudan establishing ties with Israel during a visit to Khartoum. In response to this, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said his government had no mandate to do so, and that such a move could be decided after the end of the transitional period and the holding of elections, which has been planned for 2022.