Normalisation of Ties between Sudan and Israel Is a Big Trade-Off for the Terror Delisting
By
Garimella Subramaniam
28 Dec 2020
The recent
U.S. move to remove Sudan’s designation, which had been in place since 1993, as
a state that sponsors terrorism could potentially come at a huge price that no
sovereign nation should demand, or another acquiesce to. The Sudanese
government’s recognition of the state of Israel — which looms as Khartoum’s
trade-off for the terror delisting — should be the sole prerogative of the
people of that country, not of a superpower such as Washington or any other to
arbitrarily impose its will.
Prime
Minister Abdalla Hamdok had himself articulated the dilemma that his unelected
government should take upon itself the responsibility for such a pivotal
decision to accord formal recognition to Israel, given the sensitive historical
background. That goes back to the time when Khartoum played host to the Arab
League gathering, which adopted the so-called “three nos” resolution to deny
recognition, initiate negotiations and seek peace with Israel, in the wake of
the 1967 Six-Day war. It would seem a stretch to assume that bilateral
relations between the two countries were germane to a determination of Sudan’s
status on the international stage.
On the
other hand, the factors that influenced the designation of Sudan as a sponsor
of terrorism are relatively clear. They relate to the former military regime’s
backing for the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas and Hezbollah, besides
the harbouring of Osama bin Laden until 1996. Sudan is a rather different
country now since the overthrow of the 30year-long dictatorship of Omar Hassan
al-Bashir in the popular uprising in 2019. The democratic transition that has been
underway in the North African country since August 2019 is expected to lead to
general elections in 2022. The ultimate objective of the mass uprising was,
after all, to ensure that the military, which still shares power in the
transitional government, returned to the barracks.
The
reintegration of Sudan into the global community via a renegotiation of its
national debt and reopening of investment opportunities would be crucial
ingredients for this overall endeavour. The country has suffered a crippling
impact from the loss of vast oil reserves to South Sudan, which seceded in
2011. The COVID-19 pandemic and the worst floods in a century have compounded
the problems of food shortages, skyrocketing inflation, and severe
unemployment.
The deal
struck with the United States will provide Sudan crucial access to global
financial institutions, resume dollar-denominated transactions, and revive
foreign investment after nearly three decades.
Long In
the Making
In fact,
the stage had been set for the removal from the terrorism bracket with the
easing of U.S. economic sanctions in 2017, which was followed by the exchange
of ambassadors between the two countries after 23 years in 2019. Unfortunately,
what has proved decisive in an appraisal of Sudan’s emerging status is
President Donald Trump’s own electoral calculations and his several highly
controversial interventions in the West Asian peace process. The transactional
approach towards a matter that has implications for global security was perhaps
too awkward for Washington. As such, for the record at least, the terror
delisting has been treated as an outcome in exchange for a compensation payment
of $335 million for the victims of the 1998 Al Qaeda attacks on U.S. embassies
in Kenya and Tanzania. Sudan has, for its part, stopped short of a commitment
to re-establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel, and opening of
embassies is not part of the agreement.
There is
concern that the recent turn of events could ease the pressure on the military
to hand over the former dictator, Mr. Bashir, to the International Criminal
Court for investigations of genocide and war crimes. Apprehension on that score
is only legitimate, given that the U.S., which is not a signatory to the Rome
Statute that underpins the Hague Court, has sought to block its operations. The
assertion of national sovereignty is integral to Sudan’s democracy.
Original
Headline: A costly deal for Sudan
Source: The Hindu
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/normalisation-ties-between-sudan-israel/d/123897
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