Wikileaks: Sudan seeks U.S. help to normalize ties with Israel
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September 6, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The Sudanese government conveyed to
the United States in 2008 its desire to normalize ties with Israel,
according to one of the diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks
website.
The breathtaking revelation by the anti-secrecy website will likely
cause a huge embarrassment to the Islamic government in Khartoum which
prides itself as being a staunch supporter of the Palestinian people.
Top Sudanese officials including president Omer Hassan al-Bashir meet
publicly with leaders of Islamic militant group Hamas who visit
Khartoum.
The leaked document marked as confidential refers to a meeting between
Bashir’s adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail and U.S. charge d’Affaires
Alberto Fernandez on July 29, 2008. This was almost two weeks after
the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced his
intention to seek an arrest warrant for Bashir on ten counts of war
crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.
The Hague tribunal eventually issued the warrant against the Sudanese
leader on all ten counts.
In his talks with Fernandez, Ismail accused the then U.S. assistant
Secretary of State for African affairs of ordering the special envoy
to Sudan Richard Williamson in June 2008 to end negotiations on
bilateral talks that were ongoing between Khartoum and Washington.
Williamson at the time said that talks were suspended because leaders
from the north and south were not serious about ending fighting in the
disputed region of Abyei that has raised concerns about a return to
civil war.
’’At this point the leadership of either side is not interested in
meaningful peace,’’ Williamson said at the time.
The top U.S. diplomat in Sudan told Ismail as he was not present at
the negotiations and as such he was not aware of this but added that
he had seen zero evidence that this was the case with either
Williamson or Frazer.
"We thought that Williamson was strong and could deliver, but we were
wrong - now we will have to see what he will bring when he comes for
his next visit" Ismail told Fernandez.
The presidential adviser said that prior to the bilateral discussions
it was difficult to convince government hardliners such as Bashir’s
assistant Nafie Ali Nafie about working with the U.S.
According to the cable, Ismail then became enthusiastic about the
possibility of a breakthrough. As the discussions failed, said Ismail,
the hardliners have gained more influence within the regime.
Bashir’s adviser then went on to say that the breakdown in the
discussions have had a major impact on their foreign policy. He said
that Khartoum drafted a strategy for working with the U.S. with
immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals.
As an example, he stated that one aspect of this strategy included
normalization of relations with Israel, because "if things were going
well with the U.S., you might be able to help us with Israel, as they
are your closest ally in the region".
A political analyst in Khartoum told Sudan Tribune that Ismail may
have acted out of “desperation” to salvage the regime against the
threat of the ICC.
“In an naive way, Ismail thought that he could lure the Americans by
throwing the Israel [normalization] card thinking that the Americans
would then quickly want to scrap Bashir’s arrest warrant. That was
their last ditch attempt” said the analyst who did not want to be
named.
Sudan routinely accuses Israel of fueling conflicts in the war ravaged
country including the one in the western region of Darfur.
The Jewish state is believed to have conducted two airstrikes in Sudan
in 2009 & 2011 that targeted suspected arms convoys and dealers
carrying out smuggling operations of weapons into Gaza strip. The
Sudanese defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein vowed to repel
any future attack.
Sudan does not recognize Israel and have ruled out the possibility of
doing so. It has reacted with anger for quick steps taken by the new
state of South Sudan towards establishing ties with Israel.
Last month the foreign ministry spokesperson Al-Obaid Marawih said
Khartoum is concerned that Israel may want to use South Sudan to
undermine Sudan’s stability. He also claimed that that ruling party in
Juba continued to receive support from Israel to prevent Arab-Muslim
expansion.
Ironically, Israel is home to thousands of Sudanese refugees and
migrant workers who arrived on foot after crossing Egypt’s Sinai
peninsula.
In August, local media reported the intention of state prosecutors to
charge the Secretary General of Sudan People Liberation Movement North
(SPLM-N) over a visit he allegedly made to Tel Aviv.
The counts were to include spying, collaborating with an enemy state,
sedition and war against the state and other codes related to
violating the Immigration and Nationality law.
(ST)
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