Saudi Arabia and Iran in a fight for Africa's Loyalty

Sudan became the first African state to cut diplomatic ties with Iran following the attack on Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran, as tension escalated over the Saudi execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr for terror-related offences.

It was joined by Djibouti and Somalia, while Egypt condemned the attacks without going as far as severing diplomatic ties.

What stands out in Sudan's case is how quickly its relations with mainly Shia Iran have deteriorated.

The two nations were strong military allies in the 1990s and 2000s, with Iran providing arms and training to the African nation.

But relations deteriorated when in 2014 Sudan, the only African state governed by a Sunni version of Islamic law, expelled an Iranian diplomat for promoting Shia Islam in the country.

CULLED FROM BBC