Hamdok tells Pompeo he’s not authorised to normalise ties with Israel

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday that he was not mandated to normalise ties with Israel and the issue should not be linked to Sudan’s removal from a U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list.

Hamdok told Pompeo that the transitional government “does not have a mandate … to decide on normalisation with Israel” and the matter would be decided after Sudan’s transitional bodies were formed, according to government spokesman Faisal Saleh.

The Sudanese government sacked its foreign ministry spokesman last week after he called the UAE decision to normalise relations with Israel “a brave and bold step”.