Sudan’s Burhan Says to Visit ‘Israel’ If Invited

Speaking to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was asked whether, as Sudan’s leader, he would visit ‘Israel’ to strengthen a relationship that has so far seen only low-level or unofficial contacts.

“The basis of the relationship is reconciliation, so if an invitation is presented and there are the means for it, I will go,” Burhan said.

Sudan and Israel agreed to normalize relations in October 2020 as part of a series of US-backed normalizations agreements between UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

A few months earlier, Burhan met with then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda in an initially unannounced meeting.

However, the process of establishing ties with the Zionist entity stalled due to divisions over power sharing between the military and civilian governments in Sudan.

Despite the lack of formal ties, ‘Israel’ and Sudan have established security and intelligence relations. Over the past two years, officials have exchanged meetings on several occasions during unannounced trips.