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US removes Sudan from terror sponsors list

Author: Koang Pal Chang | Published: Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Mike Pompeo, left, US secretary of state, meets Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok in Khartoum in August © Office of Sudan's Prime Minister/AFP/Getty

The United States has formally removed has removed Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism after nearly three decades, the US embassy has said on Facebook.

The US Embassy in Khartoum said in a Facebook post on Monday the decision would be formally published by the government later.

“The congressional notification period of 45 days has lapsed and the Secretary of State has signed a notification stating rescission of Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation is effective as of today (December 14), to be published in the Federal Register,” the post said.

Washington once labeled Khartoum a hub of the “axis of evil,” but relations between the US and Sudan have warmed since former President Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year.

US President Donald Trump announced in October that he was delisting Sudan, a step desperately sought by the nation’s new civilian-backed government as the designation severely impeded foreign investment.

As part of a deal, Sudan will pay $335 million to compensate survivors and victims’ families from the twin 1998 attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Sudan’s transitional government, which took over last year following the ouster of al-Bashiralso agreed to recognize Israel, a major goal for Trump, although Khartoum has sought to downplay the connection.

Trump sent his notice to Congress on October 26 and, under US law, a country exits the terror list after 45 days unless Congress objects, which it has not.

US lawmakers have broadly supported the decision but have not reached an agreement on an accompanying goal of Sudan — legally shielding it from any further terrorism claims in US courts.

Families of victims of September 11, 2001, attacks have called on lawmakers to reject the State Department’s proposal, saying they want to pursue legal action against Sudan.

“The September 11 families aren’t asking for any special favors, just to be left alone to pursue their longstanding lawsuit against Sudan and other regional parties for supporting al-Qaida so that it could become the international terrorist organization that has murdered so many innocents,” Jack Quinn, a lawyer for the families, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

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