Former Sudanese Official Haider Badawi Sadiq: I Cannot Deny That Sudan Is Willing To Negotiate Normalization With Israel; We Want World Peace

Haider Badawi Sadiq, the former Spokesman of Sudan's Foreign Minister, said in a September 21, 2020 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that he cannot deny whether Sudan would be willing to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for food aid, $3 billion, and removal from the U.S. State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. He said that it is up to Sudan's negotiating delegation to do what is best for Sudan. Sadiq said that Sudan's new government wants world peace and that Sudan can serve as a model for peace. He also said that Sudan no longer wants to be held captive by the "Arab discourse" that has prevailed over the past decades. Sadiq added that if human rights violations were the defining factor in establishing relations with other countries, then Sudan should boycott all the Arab countries.

Interviewer: "It was reported on axios.com that Sudan wants $3 billion, to be removed from the State Department's list of states sponsoring terrorism, and food aid in exchange for normalizing its relations with Israel. Is this true or not?"

Haider Badawi Sadiq: "I cannot deny this."

Interviewer: "Can you confirm this?"

Sadiq: "I cannot deny this."

Interviewer: "So it is true?"

Sadiq: "This is up to the negotiating delegation. The delegation should negotiate on what Sudan sees as its best interest."

Interviewer: "Okay, but it seems that this is true and all that is left is to negotiate the details. Is that true, Mr. Ambassador?"

Sadiq: "A lot of what is being said is true.

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"We have come to power following a revolution. President Al-Burhan and the delegation accompanying him are operating in keeping with the values of the revolution. Peace is among the values of the revolution – not only peace in Sudan, but we want to become makers of world peace."

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Interviewer: "What can Sudan offer Israel?"

Sadiq: "Sudan can offer the world – not just Israel... We can offer Israel, as part of the world, a model for peace. Like others, we in Sudan can exercise influence in the interest of the Palestinians. The Palestinians were not harmed by [their] reconciliation with Israel..."

Interviewer: "I interviewed several Palestinian leaders, and they said: 'We don't want anyone to use our name to polish [his conscience] on his way to normalizing relations with Israel.' Whoever wants to normalize is free to do so, but he must not hide behind the Palestinian cause."

Sadiq: "Fine. So why are they saying this when they themselves have normalized their relations with Israel?"

Interviewer: "how come they are right and we are wrong? They are under occupation, Mr. Ambassador, and you are not."

Sadiq: "For the past decades, we have been held captive by the Arab discourse, which has led the Arab world to where it is today. We do not want to be held captive by this Arab discourse. We want to help our region flourish through peace.

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"If we consider violations of human rights to be one of the main conditions [preventing] the establishment of relations with countries, they we should boycott all the Arab countries."