‘Deep regret’ over Trump’s new travel ban: Sudan

Ibrahim Ghandour. (AFP)

KHARTOUM: Sudan expressed “deep regret and discontent” on Tuesday over US President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban barring its citizens from traveling to the US.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its deep regret and discontent over the executive order issued by the American president,” a statement said.
On Monday, Trump signed a revised ban on refugee admissions and new visas for travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, among them Sudan.
It came after a first ban was frozen by US federal courts. The new executive order suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and halts new visas for travelers from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan. Iraqis who had been targeted by the original ban were not included.
Sudan said it renews its “condemnation” of the order as it comes despite Khartoum engaging in talks with Washington on fighting regional and international terrorism.
“These negotiations confirmed that Sudan plays a big role as a partner in fighting terrorism that endangers people of both countries and of the world,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Urging Washington to drop Khartoum from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, the ministry said the US administration should review the “harsh decision” taken against Sudanese citizens.
“Sudanese citizens have never been involved in any crimes or terrorism in the US,” the statement said.
Before leaving office, President Barack Obama eased decades-old sanctions against Sudan, but kept Khartoum on the blacklist.
Sudan was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993 and has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 over its alleged support for militant groups.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was based in Khartoum from 1992 to 1996.
Washington believes Khartoum’s terror ties have ebbed, but has kept sanctions in place because of the scorched-earth tactics it has used against ethnic minority rebels in Darfur.
An end to fighting in Sudan’s hotspots — Blue Nile and South Kordofan states as well as the Darfur region — had been set as a precondition for sanctions being lifted.
According to the UN, 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced since the Darfur conflict erupted in 2003.
Khartoum said it was keen to improve relations with Washington.
“Sudan renews its commitment to continue a bilateral dialogue in order to reach full and normal relations between the two countries in the interests of their peoples,” the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.