Sudan denies seeking Israel ties for Trump support

Sudan has denied reports that it sought normalisation meetings with Israel in exchange for political support, Foreign Minister Ali Youssef al-Sharif told Middle East Eye over the weekend.

Earlier this month, Sudanese news outlet al-Rakoba reported that Lieutenant General al-Sadiq Ismail, the personal envoy to Sudan's military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, made a secret visit to Tel Aviv to discuss normalisation efforts with Israel.

Although Sudan signed the Abraham Accords in 2021, the formal signing of a peace treaty was postponed due to internal crises, including a coup against the democratically elected government and the ongoing civil war between Burhan and his rival, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti.

According to the report, the envoy's visit aimed to coordinate with Israeli officials on presenting Burhan in a favourable light to the new US administration and to address rising tensions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over Burhan and the Sudanese army.

The envoy reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Burhan wanted to finalise the normalisation process with Israel and secure Sudan’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords in exchange for Israeli support.

“We aren’t trying to do anything,” Sharif told MEE on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday. “I don't think I have any information regarding normalisation. I don't know of any recent contacts.”

The foreign minister later told MEE during a briefing with journalists in London that if true, Ismail's trip "does not reflect government policy".

"It is the same with the reports that there was a proposal for hosting Palestinian refugees from Gaza - we had not been approached."

Sharif also said that Sudan is in communication with the US State Department and is expecting a visit from an American delegation soon to discuss humanitarian issues and the civil war.

ICJ case against UAE

Last week, Sudan accused the UAE of complicity in genocide during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Sudan claimed that the alleged genocide against the Masalit community in Darfur by the RSF would not be possible without Emirati support.

There is a possibility that the ICJ could dismiss the case on legal grounds, as the UAE made a reservation to Article Nine of the Genocide Convention when it acceded to the treaty in 2005. This article allows for dispute settlement before the ICJ in cases of treaty violations, but states are permitted to opt out of this provision upon signing.

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Despite this, Sharif remained cautiously optimistic. He noted that while the ICJ lacks enforcement powers, its decisions can shape global opinion.

“Public opinion that arises from such cases is very important,” he said. “If there’s a ruling in our favour, it will be reflected in the Security Council and the United Nations as well.”

He added that if the ICJ declines to hear the case, Sudan would still lobby the UN Security Council to intervene, given its mandate to maintain international peace and security.

Sharif also said that Sudan had submitted material evidence to both the ICJ and the Security Council showing that the RSF received advanced weapons from the UAE - some originally sourced from the United States.

“This has been verified by investigations conducted by the US administration,” he said. “These weapons, which were not supposed to be transferred to other countries or used in conflict zones, were delivered to the RSF.”