Another Islamic Republic is planning to join Abraham Accords. Details here

President Donald Trump speaks with African leaders including Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embal, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (left end) and Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema during a lunch in White House | AP

 

The Abraham Accords, a set of agreements leading to the normalisation of relations between Arab countries and Israel, are likely to expand, according to reports. 

 

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania could become the fifth country to join the Abraham Accords, and Israeli representatives met with Mauritanian representatives at the White House on Wednesday, according to Semafor. However, neither the White House nor Israel confirmed the reports.

 

According to Semafar, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani could also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit being held in the US. Besides  Mauritania, four other western African countries, including Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Senegal, will attend the summit. 

 

There were reports that the first Trump administration had been on the verge of brokering normalisation agreements between Israel and Mauritania, but ran out of time before Trump left office.

 

Mauritania, a member of the Arab League, severed ties with Israel in 2010 in response to the first Gaza war. A Muslim country in northwest Africa, it has access to the Atlantic Ocean and has a total area of over 1,000,000 square kilometres. 

 

This comes amid reports that Syria could also join the Abraham Accords. 

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upbeat about the developments, as he expressed hopes that the Accords would expands. "

“First comes strength, then peace. We have shown a lot of strength, and it seems to us that there are many fruits of peace, and we will be able to expand the Abraham Accords, creating a reality in the Middle East that is unimaginable, bringing prosperity and stability," Netanyahu said. 

 

According to geopolitical experts, the Israel-Iran war and subsequent blow to Tehran would accelerate the normalisation process, as the power equations in the Middle East have been reset in favour of the US and Israel.

Middle East