Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called on the United States to remove Sudan from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
The demand was made by Sudan Foreign Ministry’s Acting Undersecretary Omer Dahab during a meeting in Khartoum with the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Donald Booth, according to a statement by the ministry.
“The undersecretary called on the U.S. to remove Sudan from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism to enable Sudan access international development support,” said the statement.
“Sudan is now looking forward to be reintegrated in the international community,” said Dahab, pointing out that Sudan needs support of the international community to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals for 2030.
He further said Sudan is expecting to normalize its ties with the U.S. and other countries, with which it had tense relations over the past decades.
For his part, the U.S. envoy said Washington is working with its partners to look into how to support Sudan.
Booth underlined the need to commit to the deadlines agreed on to establish transitional institutions and a civilian government in Sudan, after the ruling military council and the opposition reached a deal on the constitutional declaration.
The United States started imposing sanctions on Sudan in 1997 and has been listing it as one of the countries sponsoring terrorism since 1993.
Since then, Washington has been renewing its sanctions on Sudan due to the continuing war in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions, in addition to a number of outstanding issues between Sudan and South Sudan such as the territorial dispute over the oil-rich Abyei area.
But in October 2017, the U.S. decided to lift its economic sanctions on Sudan permanently, citing Sudan’s “sustained positive actions” to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas, improve humanitarian access, and maintain cooperation with the U.S. “on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.”
source: xinhuanet