Sudan rules out normalization with Israel

January, 19, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan reiterated its support to the Palestinian cause and ruled out possible normalization of relations with Israel, saying early remarks by Foreign Affairs Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on the matter was taken out of context.

In a lecture about Sudan foreign relations held last week, Ghandour replied to a question about normalizing relations with Hebrew State, he said Khartoum has no objection to study such calls if it can help to improve Sudan’s sour relations with Washington.

The minister was answering a question posed by Abdallah Deng, a South Sudanese Islamist and former leading member of the Popular Congress Party of Hassan al-Turabi before the secession. The comment raised strong reactions within the ruling party and Sudanese islamists.

“Statement of the foreign minister about normalization of relations with Israel during a lecture held last week, was taken out of context,” he said.

“The support of the Government and the people of Sudan to Palestinian cause is well known. It did not change and will remain unchanged,” he stressed, pointing it is consistent with the Arab and Muslim positions and in line with international legitimacy.

In that lecture, Ghandour underlined that the normalization with Israel should not be linked to the lift of sanctions and the normalization with the U.S.

Many in Khartoum point to the Israeli’s influence on the American policy makers, saying joint the Arab states that normalized relations with Tel Aviv can help to remove economic sanctions.

Sudan has no diplomatic relations established with Israel and remains hostile to the Jewish state on the grounds that it is occupying Arab lands.

IRANIAN DIPLOMATS

Members of the Iranian Embassy in Khartoum have left Sudan, announced the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq told Sudan Tribune that all members of Iran’s Embassy in Sudan left the country on Monday, after the elapse of the two-week deadline given to them.

Sadiq also said members of Sudan’s diplomatic mission in Tehran are due to arrive here in two days .

He said the Iranian diplomats ‘’ were accorded full cooperation from the Sudanese authorities .’’

Khartoum in early January severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in a show of solidarity with Riyadh after Iranian citizens attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran in protest of the execution of the Shiite clergy Nimir al Nimir.

(ST)