Israel participates in international efforts to mediate peace in Sudan
An unnamed senior official in Israel confirmed on Sunday that the Jewish state was involved in American-led efforts to end the eruption of hostilities in Sudan.
Israeli officials were reportedly in talks with both Sudanese Army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the national military, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the chief of the rival, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The Israeli source revealed that Jerusalem’s goal is de-escalation in Sudan and improving the local conditions in order to set up a civilian-based government.
However, the Sudanese political realm is complex with more than 130 rival political parties. As in neighboring Egypt, the Sudanese military reportedly has played a significant role in domestic stability.
Intense fighting between rival militaries in Sudan has claimed the lives of at least 56 people in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The current fighting appears more intense than previous rounds.
“We haven’t seen such battles in Khartoum before,” said local resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa.
Sudan was one of four Arab states that joined the historic Arab-Israeli Abraham Accords in 2020. However, unlike Israel’s ties with Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Sudanese-Israeli ties are currently at a low diplomatic level because of the chronically unstable political situation in Sudan.
The Biden administration has indicated that it wants a civilian government installed in Khartoum ahead of full Sudanese-Israeli normalization. However, Israeli officials are reportedly interested in advancing ties with Sudan, regardless of who is in charge.
At the same time, there are concerns that China, Russia and Iran could intervene and exploit the ongoing political turmoil in the war-torn African country.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
