After a seven-year hiatus, Sudan is moving towards restoring its diplomatic relations with Iran.
On the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sudan’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Sadeq Ali met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to urgently discuss the restoration of severed relations between the two countries.
Sudan abruptly severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in January 2016, during the tenure of former President Omar al-Bashir.
At that time, it was stated that the decision to cut ties with Iran was in response to the brutal attack on the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad.
However, Bashir had already laid the groundwork for this decision in 2014 when he ordered the closure of Hussainiyas and the Iranian Cultural Center in Khartoum.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Thursday that Sadeq Ali had met with Amir-Abdollahian.
According to the statement, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the prompt restoration of relations between the two nations and the significance of returning these relations to their previous state.
This restoration would allow both countries to capitalize on cooperative opportunities across diverse fields.
For his part, Sadeq Ali expressed appreciation for the humanitarian aid provided by the Iranian Red Crescent and extended congratulations on the reinstatement of Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia.
The Foreign Ministry statement mentioned that Sadeq Ali discussed with his Iranian counterpart the developments in Sudan and informed him about the Sudanese army’s ability to “swiftly resolve the rebellion.”
He emphasized that the delay in resolving the situation was due to the presence of rebels within government facilities and civilian homes. Sadeq Ali also conveyed that the Sudanese army is not inclined to adopt a scorched-earth policy.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry quoted the top Iranian diplomat expressing regret over the situation in Sudan.
Amir-Abdollahian stated that his government considers the ongoing events “an internal matter” and emphasized that the solution should come from the Sudanese themselves, without any external interference.
