Israel hails new first in relations with Sudan

JERUSALEM: Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen has led a delegation to Khartoum, a spokesman said Tuesday, months after Sudan and the Jewish state struck a deal to normalise ties.

The Monday visit marked the first time an Israeli minister headed a delegation to the African state, Cohen's office said.

Sudanese state media did not report the visit.

The Israeli intelligence ministry said members of the delegation met head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim for talks on "diplomatic, security and economic issues".

"A first-ever memorandum on these topics was signed between the Sudanese defence minister and Cohen," it said.

The sides also discussed "deepening intelligence cooperation".

"The Sudanese authorities briefed the Israeli delegation on their progress on cancelling the law boycotting Israel, and amending the law imprisoning Sudanese migrants, including to Israel, who return to Sudan," the ministry added.

Sudan agreed to normalise ties with Israel in October last year and an Israeli delegation visited Khartoum the following month.

On January 6, Sudan signed the "Abraham Accords" normalising ties with Israel, making it the third Arab country to do so after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain last year.

Morocco also normalised its ties with Israel in December.

Khartoum signed the accords less than a month after Washington removed it from its "state sponsors of terrorism" blacklist as part of a quid pro quo.

But protests against normalisation have continued in Sudan. On January 17, dozens of protesters gathered outside the cabinet office in Khartoum and burned the Israeli flag.

Until last year, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab countries to have recognised Israel, in bilateral peace deals struck decades ago.

Other Arab governments refused to normalise relations until Israel reached a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians and its other neighbours.

Cohen said his visit to Khartoum "laid the foundations for many important collaborations that will help Israel and Sudan, boost regional stability, deepen our ties with Africa and lead to more agreements with states in the region".