US removes Sudan from the list of states supporting terrorism

The US removed Sudan’s state sponsor of terrorism designation, 27 years after putting the country on its blacklist. (FIle/AFP)

• The move would open the door for Sudan to get international loans and aid needed to revive its economy

JEDDAH: The US on Monday removed Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism.
The move is a boost for the transitional authorities who took over after Omar Bashir was deposed as president last year. It follows Sudan’s normalization of ties with Israel in October, and opens the door to desperately needed international investment.
“We have been liberated from the global blockade which we were forced into by the behavior of the ousted regime,” Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said.
He said the delisting would “contribute to economic reforms, attract investments and remittances through official channels, create new job opportunities for young people, and many other positives.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said removing Sudan from the terror list had been “made possible by the efforts of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime.”
The US listed Sudan in 1993 because the Bashir regime harbored militant groups including Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah. It cut Sudan off from financial assistance and investment, and from the global banking system.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Washington would now help Khartoum to seek financing from international lenders and negotiate relief on $60 billion in foreign debt.
Sudan also hopes to gain access to equipment and software for healthcare, energy, transport, education and infrastructure.
“This decision has given us hope that our circumstances could improve,” said Mohamed Hassan, 58, a private sector employee in Khartoum.