U.S. Halts Aid to Sudan, Demands Israel Condemn Military Coup

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM – The bloody military coup in Sudan has led the U.S. to suspend assistance to the country, and to publicly call upon Israel, which has been negotiating normalization with Khartoum, to take a stand against the military which seized power from a civilian-led transitional government.

“The United States is not moving forward at this time with assistance originally committed to Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government in connection with its efforts to improve Sudan’s bilateral relationship with Israel,” a State Department spokesman said in an email Friday quoted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in response to a query. “This includes wheat shipments and certain development and trade and investment assistance.”

“We strongly encourage the State of Israel to join us and the broader international community in vocally pressing for Sudan’s military leaders to cede power to a credible civilian-led transitional government,” the spokesman said.

Sudan’s military seized power last fall, arresting the country’s prime minister. Dozens of protesters who took to the streets were killed by security forces in demonstrations.

Israel has kept silent on these events, and a minister in the former civilian government was quoted by Haaretz last month saying that this could be perceived as backing for the coup.

The State Department spokesman added that the crisis in Sudan will not affect Washington’s support for the Abraham Accords, which has ushered in a period of normalization between Israel and moderate Arab neighbors including the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

Meanwhile, in Sudan, authorities freed several dozen political detainees on Monday though others remain jailed, a lawyers’ group said, a day after Sudan’s military ruler announced the lifting of the state of emergency imposed after an October coup, Reuters reported.

Regular mass street protests calling for the military to quit politics have continued for more than seven months since the coup, which ended a military-civilian power sharing arrangement struck after the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir.

There were further demonstrations on Monday in the city of Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, where a Reuters reporter saw protesters blocking a main street and a bridge and burning car tires.

Doctors connected to the protest movement say 98 civilians have been killed by security forces in crackdowns on the demonstrations. Military rulers say they allow peaceful protests and that casualties will be investigated.