Israel to Send First Delegation to Sudan After Normalising Ties, Media Reports

Israel is planning to send its first delegation to Sudan since the African Arab state agreed to normalise ties with Tel Aviv on 23 October, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous source.

Neither Israeli nor Sudanese officials have commented on the report on the alleged upcoming delegation's visit. It is unclear what its primary task will be during the reported visit to the country; however, the two states earlier suggested that economic ties and trade, especially related to the agricultural sector, will be among the first matters to be discussed since their bilateral relations reached a new level.

Sudan became the third Arab country to agree to establish diplomatic ties with the Jewish state in the past few months, thus becoming the fifth Arab country to do so. The breakthrough in bilateral ties was achieved with mediation by the US. Soon after, Washington removed Sudan from its list of terrorism sponsors.

Prior to Sudan, two Gulf states, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signed the so-called Abraham Accords with Israel, also with help from the US and President Donald Trump, thus also establishing diplomatic ties with the country. The UAE agreed to make the move, which was condemned by Iran and the Palestinian Authority's leaders, after Israel agreed to put its plans to extend sovereignty over certain parts of the West Bank on hold.