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world news Dialuna 5 OctOber 2020

US push for Arab-Israel ties divides Sudanese leaders

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan's "We need Israel ... Israel is a ment.
fragile interim government is developed country and the Less than $1 billion in cash
sharply divided over normal- whole world is working with was being offered, mostly to
izing relations with Israel, as it," he said. "We will have be paid by the Emirates, said
it finds itself under intense benefits from such relations a Sudanese official who took
pressure from the Trump ad- ... We hope all look at Sudan's part in the meetings. The Su-
ministration to become the interests." danese team, had asked for $3
third Arab country to do so Such comments would have billion to help rescue Sudan's
in short order — after the been unthinkable until re- economy.
United Arab Emirates and cently in a country where Dagalo, the military official,
Bahrain. public hostility toward Israel tweeted Friday, after meet-
Washington's push for Su- remains strong. ing with the U.S. envoy to
dan-Israel ties is part of a The top civilian official in Sudan, Donald Booth, in
campaign to score foreign the coalition, Prime Minister South Sudan that he received
policy achievements ahead of Abdalla Hamdok, has argued a promise to remove Sudan
the U.S. presidential election that the transitional govern- from the terror list "as soon nation briefly hosted Osama Qaida network while he was
in November. ment does not have the man- as possible." bin Laden and other wanted living in Sudan.
Sudan seemed like a natural date to decide on foreign pol- An Israeli official said the militants. Sudan was also However, questions about
target for the pressure cam- icy issues of this magnitude. talks on normalization re- believed to have served as a the fairness of the proposed
paign because of U.S. lever- When U.S. Secretary of State main purely between the pipeline for Iran to supply compensation deal to non-
age — Khartoum's desperate Mike Pompeo visited Sudan U.S. and Sudan. weapons to Palestinian mili- American victims, includ-
efforts to be removed from a last month, Hamdok urged "We're still not there," said the tants in the Gaza Strip. ing those who were working
U.S. list of states sponsoring him to move forward with official, who spoke on condi- Osman Mirghani, a Suda- for the embassies and have
terrorism. Sudan can only get removing Sudan from the list tion of anonymity because he nese analyst and editor of the subsequently become U.S.
the international loans and of state sponsors of terrorism was discussing a confidential daily newspaper al-Tayar, said citizens, have stalled its con-
aid that are essential for re- and not link it to recognizing diplomatic matter. He said Sudanese leaders don't have sideration in Congress which
viving its battered economy Israel. the Israeli government hopes unlimited time to decide. must approve the agreement.
once that stain is removed. "It needs a deep discussion a deal can be wrapped up "The U.S. offer of incentives Meanwhile, some families of
While Sudan's transitional within our society," Ham- before the U.S. election on .. will not last too long. It is the victims of the September
government has been negoti- dok told reporters earlier this Nov. 3. related to the U.S. presiden- 11 attacks have also started
ating the terms of removing week. For Israel, a cordial relation- tial election on one side, and procedures to claim compen-
the country from the list for Several Sudanese officials, ship with Sudan would be a the number of Arab states sation from Sudan, though
more than a year, U.S. offi- who spoke on condition of symbolic victory. that normalize," he said. the country's links to that ter-
cials introduced the linkage anonymity because they were Sudan, a Muslim-majority With Sudan's long-time ror plot are less clear. Their
to normalization with Israel not authorized to brief the African country, has long autocratic leader Omar al- complaint has complicated
more recently. media, said civilian leaders said it supports the Palestin- Bashir deposed and facing the embassy bombing com-
Top Sudanese military lead- prefer to wait with any deal ian people in their calls for an war crimes and other charges, pensation deal and could fur-
ers, who govern jointly with until after the U.S. election. independent state. Khartoum Sudan's transitional authori- ther deter the U.S. Congress
civilian technocrats in a Sov- The officials said military hosted the historic Arab ties believe that the reasons from removing Sudan from
ereign Council, have become leaders seek a quick U.S.- League summit after the 1967 behind the terrorism listing the list.
increasingly vocal in their Sudan deal, including nor- Mideast War in which Is- have evaporated. In the meantime, Sudan's
support for normalization malization with Israel, in rael captured the West Bank, But many in the U.S. main- government realizes it has
with Israel as part of a quick exchange for an aid package. Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem tain Sudan should atone for only so many cards to play.
deal with Washington ahead The officials said the military — lands the Palestinians seek its previous government's ac- "We should get ourselves off
of the U.S. election. fears incentives being offered for that state. The conference tions. that list, which the U.S. is
"Now, whether we like it or now could be withdrawn af- approved a resolution that Sudan has already agreed using as leverage to get some
not, the removal (of Sudan ter the U.S. election. became known as the "three with the U.S. State Depart- benefits out of the relation-
from the terror list) is tied One sticking point is the no's" — no peace with Israel, ment, in theory, to a com- ship that it has with Sudan,
to (normalization) with Is- size of future aid to Sudan. no recognition of Israel and pensation deal for victims which is completely legiti-
rael," the deputy head of the A meeting in Abu Dhabi last no negotiations. of the 1998 bombings of the mate," Sudan's acting Foreign
council, Gen. Mohammed month — attended by Suda- The designation of Sudan as American embassies in Kenya Minister Omar Qamar al-
Dagalo, told a local television nese, U.S. and Emirati offi- a "state sponsor of terrorism" and Tanzania, which were or- Din told reporters in Geneva
station on Friday. cials — ended without agree- dates to the 1990s, when the chestrated by bin Laden's al- last month.

Egypt reveals 59 ancient coffins found near Saqqara pyramids

(AP) — Egypt's tourism and "I consider this is the begin- hundreds of tombs of ancient precious stones. The name of El-Anany said the Saqqara
antiquities minster said on ning of a big discovery," el- officials and other sites that its owner, Priest Badi-Amun, coffins would join 30 ancient
Saturday archaeologists have Anany said, adding that there range from the 1st Dynasty is written on its base, he said. wooden coffins that were
unearthed dozens of ancient is an unknown number of (2920 B.C.-2770 B.C.) to the Egyptian antiquities officials discovered in October in the
coffins in a vast necropolis coffins that have yet to be un- Coptic period (395-642). had announced the discovery southern city of Luxor, and
south of Cairo. earthed in the same area. Mostafa Waziri, secretary of the first batch coffins last will be showcased at the new
Khalid el-Anany said at least He spoke at a news confer- general of the Supreme month, when archaeologists Grand Egyptian Museum,
59 sealed sarcophagi, with ence at the famed Step Pyr- Council of Antiquities, said found 13 of the containers in which Egypt is building near
mummies inside most of amid of Djoser in Saqqara initial studies show that the a newly discovered 11 meter- the Giza Pyramids.
them, were found that had where the coffins were decorated coffins were made deep (36 feet) well. The Saqqara discovery is the
been buried in three wells found. The sarcophagi have for priests, top officials and The Saqqara site is part of the latest in a series of archeo-
more than 2,600 years ago. been displayed and one of elites from the Pharaonic necropolis of Egypt's ancient logical finds that Egypt has
them was opened before re- Late Period (664-525 B.C.). capital of Memphis that in- sought to publicize in an ef-
porters to show the mummy He said archaeologists also cludes the famed Giza Pyra- fort to revive its key tourism
inside. Several foreign diplo- found a total of 28 statuettes mids, as well as smaller pyra- sector, which was badly hit
mats attended the announce- of Ptah-Soker the main god mids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and by the turmoil that followed
ment ceremony. of the Saqqara necropolis, Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of the 2011 uprising. The sector
The Saqqara plateau hosts at and a beautifully carved 35 Memphis were designated a was also dealt a further blow
least 11 pyramids, including cm tall bronze statuette of UNESCO World Heritage this year by the global coro-
the Step Pyramid, along with god Nefertum, inlaid with site in 1970s. navirus pandemic.