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What’s the significance of the US-Israel-Sudan normalization deal?

Khartoum, Sudan.- Secretary of State Mike R. Pompeo (left) meets with the Chairman of the Sovereign Council of Sudan, General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan (right), in Khartoum, Sudan, on August 25, 2020. Pompeo arrived this Tuesday ( 25) to Sudan in the first visit by a head of US diplomacy in 15 years, as part of a regional tour to convince other Arab countries to normalize their relations with Israel in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates. Pompeo, arrived directly from Israel on a first historic flight between the two countries.

On Friday, the Trump administration announced it reached a new deal for normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel, a follow-up to the similar Abraham Accord deals with the UAE and Bahrain. Zach Vertin explains the role the U.S. played in agreeing to remove Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, a step crucial to Sudan’s vulnerable transitional government as it navigates a pivotal transition to democracy after decades of autocratic devastation.

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Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, Marie Wilken, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.

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