U.S. summons Sudanese ambassador to protest release of USAID employees’ killer

February 2, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The United States summoned the Sudanese ambassador to protest the release of Abdel-Ra’uf Abuzaid an Islamist militant who killed USAID employees on January 2008.

The Supreme Court in Khartoum ordered the release of a Sudanese who killed a US diplomat John Granville and a Sudanese worker Abdel Rahman Abbas.

His release on January 30 took place after a letter to the head of the Sovereign Council and chief justice to announce that he would stage a hunger strike to protest psychological abuse, neglect and humiliation in prison.

Price Ned, State Department Spokesman on Thursday reiterated strong condemnation of Abuzaid’s release and again dismissed claims that the Granville family had extended forgiveness.

“We call on the Sudanese Government to exercise all available legal means to reverse this decision and to re-arrest Abuzaid,” Ned said.

“Today, we convoke the Sudanese ambassador to the United States. In addition, our ambassador in Sudan, John Godfrey, is engaging Sudanese officials at the highest levels on this issue, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Peter Lord is heading next week to Khartoum, where he will also take up this critical issue to demand action,” he stressed.

Abuzaid’s family told Sudan Tribune that the judges decided on his release after consulting the foreign ministry which approved the step saying that Sudan paid compensation to Granville’s family within the framework of the 2020 deal that led to removing Sudan from the U.S. terror blacklist.

“The 2020 U.S.-Sudan bilateral settlement of legal claims did not address Abuzaid’s imprisonment or his sentence,” repeated the diplomat.

“It is our contention that the perpetrator of this horrific terrorist attack should remain behind bars,” he asserted.

In Khartoum, the foreign ministry did not react to the statements of the U.S. diplomats condemning Abuzaid release.

(ST)