Sudan condemns renewal of US economic sanctions

November 1, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has reacted angrily to the decision by US president Barack Obama to renew the comprehensive economic sanctions that have been in place since 1997.

‘The government of Sudan strongly condemns the renewal of these sanctions,’ the Sudanese foreign ministry said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.

‘The sanctions imposed by the US administration are political sanctions which were and still are aimed at damaging Sudan’s vital interests by hindering development ambitions and plans to fight poverty.’

Obama said in his memorandum released by the White House that the actions and policies of the government of Sudan are hostile to US interests and continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

“Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to Sudan and maintain in force the sanctions against Sudan to respond to this threat.”

In October 1997, the US imposed comprehensive economic, trade and financial sanctions against Sudan in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.

Washington promised Khartoum last year that should South Sudan referendum go peacefully it would quickly remove the East African nation from the list of states that sponsor terrorism as early as July 2011.

However, easing of economic sanctions and upgrading diplomatic ties was contingent however upon resolving crises in Darfur.

The US has yet to de-list Sudan from the terrorism designation, a decision which appears to be in light of the new conflicts that have erupted this year in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

United Nations agencies and rights groups accused Khartoum of violating humanitarian law and in some instances to have committed war crimes in the course of the fighting.

Nonetheless Sudanese officials had remained hopeful that the US would soon start lifting part of the sanctions in reward for facilitating the South Sudan referendum and recognising its results, which resulted in the creation of a new state as of last July.

In Khartoum, the speaker of the parliament Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir said that he is seeking direct dialogue with the US Congress over what he said were “hostile” positions taken by legislative body against his country.

Al-Tahir accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) officials in north and south Sudan of supplying false information to US lawmakers which resulted in a negative stance by Washington.

In addition to removing sanctions, Sudan wants the US to assist in obtaining relief on a $38-billion debt which is incurring more than $1 billion in servicing fees annually.

(ST)