Resumption of Sudanese-Iranian relations… What do the Brotherhood want from Tehran?
The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood seeks to isolate the country from its surroundings, ensuring no foreign intervention in the current crisis and placing obstacles against any attempts to halt the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
Sudanese and Iranian officials have announced efforts to expedite the reopening of embassies, raising several Sudanese questions about the implications of this move amid an ongoing war that has lasted for (9) months, claiming thousands of lives and displacing millions, according to UN estimates.
In Uganda, the Sudanese Foreign Minister (acting) Ali al-Sadiq met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, on the sidelines of their participation in the “Non-Aligned Movement Summit” hosted by Kampala, as reported by the Middle East newspaper.
A Sudanese statement about the meeting mentioned that the officials “discussed the restoration of bilateral relations between the two countries and accelerating the reopening of embassies.”
The Sudanese-Iranian announcement about expediting the resumption of bilateral relations has sparked different assessments, especially amid the ongoing political complexity in the country, the sharp increase in polarization, and the arming and mobilization of civilians in the context of the counterproductive battles between the warring parties.
A former senior official in the Sudanese Islamic Movement revealed that the Sudanese Brotherhood are exploiting the relationship with Iran to obtain support for the army with weapons, explaining that the army needs armament, given the support received by Hameti‘s forces.
The source added that Iran was fully prepared to restore relations with Sudan after the fall of President Omar al-Bashir‘s regime, but the transitional civilian government led by Sovereign Council Chairman Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok had no desire for that. He further mentioned that al-Burhan was hesitant, if not outright rejecting any step towards restoring relations between the two countries, as he began building ties with Israel.
Sudan severed its ties with Iran in 2016; however, in October of last year, its foreign ministry announced the resumption of diplomatic relations, but no further steps have been taken since then.
