Sudan: spokesman fired after remarks on Israel ties

Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman was fired on Wednesday for comments he made about the African nations future relationship with Israel.

Sudan’s acting Foreign Minister Omar Qamar Al Din said he dismissed Haider Badawi from his post after Mr Badawi to media outlets on Tuesday that Sudan was “looking forward to concluding a peace agreement with Israel.”

"Foreign Minister Omar Qamareddin has dismissed Haider Badawi from his position as spokesman and head of the media division" at the ministry, according to a statement by the official SUNA news agency.

Sudan's foreign ministry said it was astonished by remarks from its own spokesman saying Khartoum had "contacts" with Israel.

The ministry insisted that the government had not discussed the possibility of diplomatic relations with Israel.

Haider Badawi, the ministry's spokesman, in comments given to international media on Tuesday praised the UAE's decision to normalise relations with Israel as "a brave and bold step".

Under the US-brokered accord announced last week, the UAE will become the third Arab country to forge full relations with Israel in more than 70 years. The pact could reshape Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the containment of Iran and other Arab states are expected to make similar accords.

In February, Israeli officials said Israel and Sudan had agreed to move towards forging normal relations for the first time during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the head of Sudan's military-led transitional sovereign council, in Uganda. There was also a discussion about allowing Israeli flights through Sudanese airspace.

"The Emirates' move is a brave and bold step and contributes to putting the Arab world on the right track to build peace in the region and to build sustainable peace," Mr Badawi told Reuters.

"I cannot deny that there are contacts between Sudan and Israel."

Mr Netanyahu welcomed Mr Badawi's remarks, saying on Twitter: "Israel, Sudan and the entire region will benefit from the peace agreement [with the UAE], and together can build a better future for all people in the region. We will do whatever is necessary to turn this vision into a reality."

But the Sudanese foreign ministry issued a statement later saying it had learned of Mr Badawi's comments "with astonishment".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan confirms that the issue of relations with Israel was not discussed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in any way, and Ambassador Haider Badawi was not assigned to make any statements in this regard," it said.

Mr Badawi was not available for comment following the ministry's statement.

Back in February, Gen Al Burhan confirmed the meeting with Mr Netanyahu but cast doubt on any rapid normalisation of ties, saying Sudan's stance on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged and that relations between the two countries were the responsibility of the civilian cabinet in Khartoum.

Scores of Sudanese protesters condemned Gen Al Burhan's meeting with Mr Netanyahu in February.

Under the long rule of autocrat Omar Al Bashir until his fall in a popular uprising in 2019, Khartoum counted among hardline foes of Israel.

Mr Badawi said any normalisation of relations with Israel would not be at the expense of "Sudan's moral values and independence" and be "according to Sudan's interests".

"We will not accept unequal relations with Israel."