KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan’s transitional government has rejected the US request to normalize its ties with Israel, Sudan’s minister for information and the government spokesman said Tuesday.

The decision comes as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid a rare visit to Sudan Tuesday, meeting Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the head of the Sovereign Council, Abdul Fatah Alburahn.

Information Minister Faisal Mohamed Salih explained in a press release extended to Anadolu Agency that the transitional government in Sudan has no mandate to decide on relations with Israel.

“About the US request to normalize ties with Israel, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has explained to the American minister that the current transitional government has no mandate to decide on the issues out of its transitional agenda that related to the democratic transformation, peace process and the holding of elections in 2022,” the statement stressed.

It further said that Hamdok has urged the American official not to link the delisting of Sudan from the US terror list with the normalization of ties with Israel.

The statement said Hamdok and Pompeo also discussed the transition of Sudan and stability and civilian protection in Darfur and other conflict areas in Sudan.