Sudan abolishes decades-old Israel boycott law in normalisation drive

Khartoum's cabinet voted on Tuesday to repeal a 1958 law that forbade diplomatic and business relations with Israel.

"The Council of Ministers has approved a bill (repealing the 1958 boycott of Israel law) for the year 2021," the cabinet said in a statement.

The former 1958 law was in line with the policies of Arab nations at the time towards Israel.

This comes six months after the two countries normalised ties after the UAE and Bahrain.

Sudan's decision to normalise relations with Israel was a controversial one that sparked protests, particularly due to the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Last month, fourteen political movements and parties in Sudan called on the country's normalisation process with Israel to be halted until general elections are held.

The signatories of the statement stressed that continuing with the normalisation agreement would expose the Sudanese transitional government to further divisions at a sensitive point in the country's history. 

The group said they recognise the complexities Sudan faces during its path to democracy but that the country must not give up on its insistence on a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict. 

"It [Sudan] is heading towards a solid democratic transformation, full transparency and liquidation of the legacy of the worst fascist regimes in its history, and the transitional period faces many pitfalls and difficulties," said the statement.

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