Washington has announced the complete removal of Sudan from the list of countries of “particular concern” for religious freedom. This is a symbolic announcement for Khartoum. But the real issue is elsewhere for the Sudanese authorities, who expect Washington to effectively remove the country from the list of countries supporting terrorism, which must include the restoration of the country’s immunity.
A little over a month after the White House announced with great pomp and ceremony an agreement between Sudan and Israel, Donald Trump’s project could already have led in the wing.
The Sudanese authorities had agreed on one condition: no warm-up with Tel Aviv until the US restored Sudan’s legal immunity. For the time being, Khartoum may still be the target of possible lawsuits in US courts to compensate and indemnify victims of terrorism.
All eyes are now turned to the US Congress, which in the next few days may or may not pass this immunity law. And according to the New York Times, the Trump administration and Israel are currently engaged in intense lobbying of members of Congress. But the game is not won, since two Democratic senators are opposed head-on to the bill.
But that’s the fear of Washington and Tel Aviv: if immunity is not lifted and Sudan finally refuses to sign the Abraham pact with Israel, it could set a precedent that would undermine Israel’s strategy of reconciliation with Arab countries.