2023-07-07 03:30:14
Tehran and Khartoum announced, on Thursday, that they intend to restore diplomatic relations between them, in the first rapprochement between them in seven years.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq met with his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement meeting held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where they discussed ways to “immediately” resume diplomatic relations between Iran and Sudan.
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the meeting “discussed the restoration of relations as soon as possible.”
The meeting comes after the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries several years ago, and the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency stated, on Thursday, that the meeting “discussed resolving misunderstandings between the two countries and strengthening political and economic relations between Tehran and Khartoum.”
On the impact of these diplomatic moves between the two countries, analysts who spoke to Al-Hurra website feared the “timing of these talks” that come at a time when Sudan is witnessing a bloody military conflict, noting that Tehran had previous interventions in countries that witnessed conflicts that ended with the permanent presence of Iran in these countries. Not to mention the fears of Tehran’s direct interference in providing military support, directly or indirectly, to one of the parties to the conflict.
“The Secret of Diplomatic Moves” The conflict rages in the Sudanese capital, with the army trying to cut off supply routes
Sudanese political analyst, Farid Zain, said that the secret of the timing of the talks between Sudan and Iran raises “suspicion and suspicion, especially since the country is witnessing a state of political vacuum and armed conflict, at a time when the war, which is expected to continue for a longer period, has not been resolved.”
He added, in an interview with Al-Hurra, that “currently, it cannot be said that there is a government in Sudan, and what prevails is chaos,” asking, “Why does Tehran want to restore diplomatic relations with a country that suffers from instability?”
Zain, who resides in the United States, considered that the diplomatic moves reveal that “the government in charge is currently looking for supporters inside and outside the country, especially in light of the limited external parties that may have a desire to provide direct support to any of the parties to the conflict,” stressing that Washington It urges everyone to stop any military support that fuels the continuation of the war.
Sudan cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016, after storming the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume relations in March under a deal brokered by China, raising expectations of a full restoration of diplomatic relations between Tehran and other Arab countries.
For his part, the Iranian political analyst, Hussein Rorian, believes that this matter comes within the framework of “Iran’s strategy proposed by the country’s leadership in order to open up to countries and the geographical environment.”
He explained, in response to Al-Hurra’s inquiries, that “Iran is interested in restoring diplomatic relations with Khartoum, because it is an important part of the countries of the Islamic world, and it is not linked to what is happening inside Sudan in terms of conflict, but rather as a result of an internal conviction of the necessity of openness.”
The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Al-Sadiq, thanked Iran for providing humanitarian aid through the Iranian Red Crescent during the conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The Sudanese political writer, Taher Moatasem, indicated that “Sudan had strong ties with Iran before cutting off relations,” and that the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries may have links with “the return of Iranian-Saudi relations, especially since the severing of relations between Tehran and Khartoum took place after the severing of relations.” between Iran and Riyadh.
He added in an interview with “Al-Hurra” website, “The current government is trying to search for external parties to strengthen its position, as we recently witnessed the visit of the Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Malik Agar, to Russia recently, and now talks with Iran, which means that some parties are looking for victory.” through the door of foreign relations.
Does Iran interfere in the Sudanese conflict? An archive photo of Iranian warships docking at a Sudanese port in 2012
“If Iran interfered in Sudan, this is not the first time, as before the severance of relations there were accusations from parties in Khartoum criticizing Tehran’s attempts to interfere by establishing sectarian religious centers in the country,” according to what the Iranian political analyst, Hassan Hashemian, revealed.
In 2014, the Iranian cultural centers in Sudan were closed, and Khartoum justified its decision by the increased activity of these centers in spreading the Shiite sect in Sudan. Most Sudanese embrace the Sunni sect, according to a previous report by Agence France-Presse.
Hashemian said in an interview with Al-Hurra that “the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has previous relations with Sudanese military officials,” and this reinforces the fears of “the current Sudanese government of Iranian interference supporting one of the parties, and this may be the reason for going to hold talks with Tehran, and requesting the restoration of relations.” immediate diplomacy.
Sudan, before severing relations, had good ties with Iran, especially in the military field. In 2012, the ousted president, Omar al-Bashir, visited Tehran, where he described the relations between the two countries as solid, and Iranian ships often dock in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Evidence indicates that Iran has played a major role in supporting the arms production sector in Sudan, according to a report issued by the Institute for the Study of Small Arms in Switzerland in May 2014.
The scrutiny of Iran and Sudan’s relations began after Khartoum accused Israel of sending four undetectable planes to strike the Yarmouk Military Industries Complex in the heart of the capital, Khartoum, in October of 2012.
After this incident, two Iranian warships left Sudan after a short stop at Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Hashemian suggested that “Tehran will intervene militarily, directly or indirectly, but it may not have decided on the party it wants to support.”
“Our delegation met with the Sudanese foreign minister and discussed ways to immediately resume diplomatic relations between Khartoum and Tehran,” Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said on Twitter.
The analyst did not exclude Zain from “Iran’s intervention by supporting any of the parties to the war in Sudan,” but stressed that “Tehran’s finding a foothold in Sudan will have a high cost that it may not be able to pay now, as it suffers economically, and it is not We need to provoke Washington and Western countries by fueling the conflict in Sudan.”
For his part, Rourian asserts that Iran “has no interest in intervening in the conflict in Sudan, or providing support to favor one party over the other.”
He added that he “highly excludes Iran’s interference in a complex internal matter in Sudan, in which various factors are linked to military, tribal and regional parties,” and this matter “is not a priority or within Iran’s interests.”
Rorian pointed out that if the matter was related to issues of “ideological differences related to resistance against Western influence or Israel, the point of view would be different, but in the event of internal competition between two military parties, Iran has no interest in supporting one party against another.”
Battles broke out in Sudan, on April 15, between the army led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces led by Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hamidati, who was an ally of al-Burhan and deputy commander of the army before they became opponents.
The writer, Moatasem, believes that “we may witness interference by Iran with the support of any of the parties to the conflict that is now taking place in Sudan,” adding that “we see and hear about Iranian interference in countries, directly or indirectly, although Tehran has many internal problems and difficulties.”
Al-Sadiq was quoted as saying that the Saudi-Iran agreement would enhance security and stability in the region.
The battles continue in Sudan, where the center of the capital, Khartoum, and the Bahri region, located to its north, are subjected to artillery shelling, while the army renewed its call for civilians to volunteer in its ranks to fight the Rapid Support Forces.
In Darfur, the leaders of the seven largest Arab tribes in the region called on all members of their tribes to join the Rapid Support Forces, asking, especially those involved in the ranks of the army, to leave it to move to the other camp.
The conflict has killed more than 2,800 people and displaced more than 2.8 million people.
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