Sudan, Israel inch closer to a US-backed peace agreement
Sudan + Israel finalize normalization agreement: Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with de facto leader Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan in Sudan last week to finalize the agreement normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The signing of the agreement is set to take place in Washington later this year following the transfer of power in Sudan to a civilian government, making Sudan the fourth country to sign a peace agreement with Israel, the statement reads. Sudan agreed to take steps towards normalizing ties with Israel in 2020, at the same time the US-brokered Abraham Accords established formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Also worth knowing this morning:
- The US is pressuring Turkey + the UAE to restrict trade with Russia: A senior US Treasury official has told officials from the two countries that their continued trade with Moscow is hindering efforts to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Bloomberg)
- The Ethiopian peace process: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed met with senior officials from the Tigray region for the first time since a historic peace agreement was signed with the government in November. (EBC News)