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The Takeaway: Sudan playing increasingly pivotal role in Middle East

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Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a press conference in Khartoum on February 8, 2021. - Sudan's ruling body said today it would announce a new cabinet to include ex-rebel chiefs as ministers, following a peace deal in October aimed to end decades of war. Hamdok dissolved the cabinet the previous day to make way for a more inclusive lineup, with the new government expected to bring in seven ministers from former rebel groups. (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP) (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via G
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a press conference in Khartoum on Feb. 8, 2021. — ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images

Hot take: Egypt, Israel, US, Saudi Arabia all banking on Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was in Sudan Saturday, yet another sign of Sudan’s increasingly pivotal role in the region.

This was his first visit in a while. Sisi was no friend of dictator and war criminal Omar Al-Bashir, who was deposed in April 2019 following mass demonstrations.

For Egypt, Sudan is a vital partner in the stalled talks with neighboring Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. For Sudan, security ties with Egypt are a priority, especially given that the Ethiopian civil war has spilled over into a hot border dispute.

Meanwhile, Israel is seeking a White House signing ceremony for its normalization agreement with Sudan last year.

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