Sudan formally recognizes Israel in U.S.-brokered deal

The east African country of Sudan on Friday became the third predominantly Muslim country to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, in a deal brokered by President Donald Trump less than two weeks before the election.

Hailing the agreement as a "huge win" on Twitter, Trump claimed that more countries would follow.

"The Sudanese government has demonstrated its courage and commitment to combatting terrorism, building its democratic institutions, and improving its relations with its neighbors," the statement said, adding that the agreement would "improve regional security.".

The agreement was negotiated on the U.S.

The agreement comes just over a month after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords at the White House, becoming the first Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel in decades.

As part of the agreement, Trump took steps to remove Sudan from the U.S.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok thanked the president for doing this in a tweet, which did not explicitly acknowledge the agreement with Israel.

Sudan denies any wrongdoing, but has said it would make the compensation claims of $335 million, Trump said in a separate tweet earlier this month.

The country of 43 million has been led by a fragile power-sharing Sovereignty Council government, made up of military members and civilians, since the dictator Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year after widespread protests.

Hailing Trump's decision to remove Sudan from the state sponsors of terrorism list, the Sovereignty Council said in a statement Friday that it was "a major breakthrough for Sudan, which will have its effects on the overall political and economic situation in the country as well as Sudan's foreign relations.".