Sudan’s Burhan coordinated with Hamdok before meeting Israel Netanyahu
March 1, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Mohamed al-Faki, a civilian member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council reiterated that Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had coordinated his meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On 3 February, al-Burhan held an announced meeting with Netanyahu to discuss ways to normalizing bilateral relations.
“I have taken this step driven by my responsibility to work tirelessly to protect and maintain Sudanese national security and achieve the supreme interests of the Sudanese people,” al-Burhan said in a statement issued late after the meeting.
The government’s spokesman Faisal Mohamed Saleh after the meeting stated that the government was not aware of the meeting and recalled that the country’s foreign policy is conducted by the government, not the collegial presidency.
In an interview with the Emirati Alroeya newspaper on Sunday, al-Faki who is also the Council spokesman denied Saleh’s statement saying he was informed about the meeting.
“When we received a report on the (visit), we knew that the matter could support our position in international politics. So, we formed a mini committee headed by Hamdok, including the foreign minister and members of the various security services to assess the relationship”.
“Our recommendation was if there is something that serves Sudan, and our reintegration into the international community, then there is no objection to this relationship,” he told Alroeya alluding to the US sanctions on Sudan.
Al-Faki said the relationship between the government and the Sovereign council has not been affected following the meeting and stressed they are working in full harmony.
Speaking about the defence and interior minister who are appointed by the military component in the transitional authority, the Sudanese official said they are members of a government headed by the prime minister and responsible before him.
At the time, the FFC coalition, which formed the government, the criticised the meeting insisting that al-Burhan has no authority on Sudan’s foreign policy.
(ST)