Backed by US, Israel trying to end Sudan coup – report

U.S. reportedly asking Israel to leverage its connections with the coup’s leader to restore the previous government.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Israel is attempting to leverage its newly forged ties with Abraham Accords partner Sudan to end an ongoing military coup, at the behest of the Biden administration.

Axios reported that the U.S. had reached out to Israeli security and diplomatic officials to pressure Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader spearheading the coup, to reverse the takeover and allow the previous civilian government to return to power.

The African nation’s de facto leader has close ties with some Israeli officials, with al-Burhan believed to be one of the driving forces behind the normalization agreement, coordinating contacts between Israeli and Sudanese shot callers.

During a phone call last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly asked Defense Minister Benny Gantz to run interference on behalf of the U.S. and ask al-Burhan to restore the democratically elected government.

The request was “also passed to officials in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry,” according to Axios.

In the midst of the coup last week, a number of prominent Israeli security officials visited Sudan, which has raised American suspicion that the Jewish State will back al-Burhan and the Sudanese military over the previous government.

U.S. envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman spoke out about the military coup in a press briefing on Tuesday, strongly condemning the takeover and said that al-Burhan and his supporters had “hijacked and betrayed” the Sudanese people.

Demanding the release of deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok from house arrest, he called upon the military to respect democracy.

“The world is watching. The military can’t choose its civilian partners in the transitional government. They need to work together,” Feltman added.

Feltman is expected to visit Israel in the coming days, Axios reported, and will visit Sudan in the near future.