Following President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Sudan from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism, Khartoum’s  administration has revealed plans to begin diplomatic talks with Israel. This is aimed at implementing a normalisation pact that could open doors for economic aid and investment. According to Sudan’s foreign ministry, Sudanese and Israeli delegations would meet in the coming weeks to negotiate deals ranging from agriculture, aviation, trade, and migration. Negotiations will involve an agreement between both countries to cooperate on trade and migration issues, a step towards creating a relationship after decades of frosty relations.

Prominent political factions in Sudan have however rejected the accord, saying it should be approved by a transitional parliament that is yet to be formed over a year after the ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir. Sudan’s move to restore diplomatic relations with Israel comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the chief of Sudan's Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met in Uganda on earlier this year in Uganda and agreed to start normalizing ties between both countries.

Since the removal of Bashir, Sudan has been governed under a power-sharing deal between the military officers and civilians. This makes the normalisation deal a sensitive one as the country was once considered a hardline critic of Israel, thereby creating a clash between the council, experts say. It remains unclear when the assembly will be constituted as part of the transition towards free elections. Despite protests from the new Sudan leadership over forging new bridges with Israel, the development is a positive step in the right direction ushering a new chapter of friendly relations and political certainty to one of the critical players in the Great Lakes region.