Obama extends Sudan sanctions for another year

October 25, 2014 (WASHINGTON) – US president Barack Obama renewed the 17-year sanctions on Sudan, saying Khartoum continues to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of his country.

In a short note released by the White House on Friday evening, Obama referred to the 1997 president Clinton decision imposing sanctions on Sudan for alleged support to terrorism and another decision taken by president Bush in April 2007 expanding the sanctions because of Darfur conflict.

The imposed sanctions prohibit trade, credits and loans to the Sudan and blocks assets held of the government and certain officials in the United States.

Washington has admitted several times Sudan’s cooperation in the fight against terrorism, but maintained the sanctions citing, South Sudan, Darfur, Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

After the secession of South Sudan in July 2011, Khartoum expected some steps will be taken to normalise lift the sanctions, but Washington demanded to end Darfur conflict and to allow humanitarian access to civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan where the Sudanese army fight against the rebel SPLM-N.

The Sudanese embassy in Washington released a statement on Saturday denouncing “completely inexcusable unilateral sanctions”.

The diplomatic mission further alluded to the different promises made by the American administration to review the sanctions saying “their lifting has always been conditioned on goals that, once met by Sudan, invariably give birth to new ones that now become the condition”.

Earlier this month the US special envoy to the two Sudans, Donald Both, said ready to visit Khartoum to resume discussions with the government officials on bilateral relations.

(ST)