For several years, Sudan and Israel have shared a turbulent history, comprising war and hostile relations. On October 23, however, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Military Council, agreed to normalize ties. Sudan is now the third country, behind the UAE and Bahrain, to make history and facilitate peace in the Middle East. Although relatively unexpected, this new alliance will have numerous important impacts on the geopolitical environment in the Middle East and Africa.
Historically, Sudan and Israel have not shared a relationship that is as bitter as Israel’s relationship with many Arab nations. But the two nations have shared their fair share of tensions. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, for example, Sudan deployed troops to fight alongside the Egyptians. The northeast African country also participated in the Six-Day War in 1967. After Israel’s victory, the 1967 Khartoum Resolution was established, in which all Arab League members agreed, “No to peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.”
Until recently, the Resolution largely influenced Sudan’s political and economic approach to Israel.
In 2015, however, Sudan began implementing a new geopolitical strategy, tapering off its alliance with Iran, and siding with Saudi Arabia during the Yemen Civil War. Subsequently, in January 2016, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour suggested that Sudan and Israel could normalize relations if the U.S. government agreed to lift sanctions on Sudan, which had been crippling its economy. This sparked visits by Sudanese officials to Israel, and in February 2020, Netanyahu and al-Burhan met in Uganda, where they agreed to normalize ties.
Although some experts argue that the peace agreement between Sudan and Israel does not represent a major strategic or economic victory for either nation, the deal will undoubtedly have ripple effects in the Middle East. The agreement between Israel and Sudan holds symbolic value, as it undermines the principles espoused in the Khartoum Resolution and suggests a new potential framework for cooperation in the region. The deal also undercuts the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s long-standing strategy of fostering Arab solidarity in the region by freezing relations with Israel until Palestine becomes a sovereign state.
The deal will enable Israel, Sudan, and its other allies to enhance security in the Red Sea. The Red Sea is a vital trade route for the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, and several other Asian countries. It enables these countries to import and export goods without shipping items around the entire African continent. However, over the past several years, security in the Red Sea region has been on the decline, and instances of violence, piracy, human trafficking, illegal migration, and arms trafficking have been on the rise. An alliance between Israel and Sudan could, therefore, help boost collaborative efforts to enhance security in the Red Sea area as well as in East Africa more broadly.
The Red Sea is also of strategic importance to Iran, which uses the route to transport weapons and munitions to dangerous actors in Somalia and Gaza. In March 2014, Israeli naval forces intercepted KLOS C, a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel, in the Red Sea. They found the ship was carrying Syrian missiles, via Iran and Iraq, destined for Gaza. The shipment was intended to be discharged in Sudan and sent to Gaza by land transport. The latest peace agreement between Sudan and Israel could help prevent further incidents such as these, promote stability in East Africa, and allow Israel to better secure its borders. Sudan could also join Israel’s other allies in helping to delegitimize Hamas.
The agreement between Israel and Sudan could also help boost security and stability in the African nation. It has long been plagued with terror outfits and violence and has attempted to place greater emphasis on national security but is failing to do so. The new partnership between the two nations could allow Sudan to tap into Israel’s military might and robust experience combating terror groups. Israel could also play a more active role in preventing foreign fighters from traveling through Sudan to nations such as Mali, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Further, since normalizing relations with Israel, countries such as the UAE have formalized deals to purchase advanced weaponry and warplanes from the United States. The latest agreement between Israel and Sudan could increase the likelihood that Sudan could ink such a deal. This is further compounded by the fact that the United States has agreed to remove Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism after Sudan agreed to pay $335 million to American terror victims and their families.
Sudan is the latest country to normalize relations with Israel and the first African country to do so recently. This newly minted agreement could confer numerous benefits to both Israel and Sudan and boost regional security and stability. It could also pave the way for other African nations, such as Morocco, to normalize relations with Israel and distance themselves from the principles of the Khartoum Resolution.
