Netanyahu to meet Sudan’s leader in Uganda, reports say

Unconfirmed reports say Netanyahu will discuss establishing diplomatic relations, a day after an American official hinted another Muslim country would make peace within days.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

Unconfirmed news reports Thursday said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Uganda in the coming days to meet the Sudanese leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Speculation has run rampant about the deal over the past weeks and gained momentum after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said on Wednesday that another country will recognize Israel “in the next day or two.”

“News of an upcoming meeting for a ‘second time’ between al-Burhan and Netanyahu within days, in Uganda,” tweeted Qatar-based journalist Sara Elareifi.

In an interview with the Arabic language channel of Israel’s i24 News, sources close to Sudan’s ruling Sovereignty Council said the new Sudanese-Israeli Friendship Association will be inaugurated in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Saturday. That announcement is the start of a normalization process between the two countries, i24 reported.

The sources said General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of Sudan’s transitional sovereign council, is “likely to meet in the coming days” with Netanyahu in Uganda in what would be their second such meeting this year after the two met in Uganda in February.

In August, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman revealed in a news interview that the African nation was getting ready to sign an agreement with Israel to establish formal diplomatic relations.

After Israel signed the historic peace deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain last week in Washington, President Donald Trump told reporters that up to nine more countries were expected to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

The report of the possible Israel-Sudan meeting comes as the Trump administration is apparently moving to remove Sudan from its list of countries that support terror.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently visited Khartoum, and Sudanese and American officials held talks in Washington over the terrorism issue that might be a carrot to get Sudan to establish diplomatic relations with Jerusalem.