Sudan chides keeping its name anew on US terrorist list
June 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has expressed regret over the decision of the United States (US) to keep Sudan on the list of the state sponsors of terrorism describing the move as “double standards”.
Sudan was placed on the US terrorism list in 1993 over allegations it was harbouring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets.
The US State Department on Friday released the 2014 terrorism report maintaining Sudan’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism and mentioning the existence of certain terrorist groups in the country as well as links between Khartoum and some of these organizations.
“The Government of Sudan has taken steps to limit the activities of these elements and has worked to disrupt foreign fighters’ use of Sudan as a logistics base and transit point for terrorists going to Syria and Iraq. However, groups continued to operate in Sudan in 2014 and there continued to be reports of Sudanese nationals participating in terrorist organizations,” the report says.
The report also noted that Sudan continued to allow members of the Islamic militant group of Hamas which is control of the Gaza strip to travel, fundraise, and live in Sudan.
Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it rejects reinsertion of Sudan on the black list, pointing it also refuses claims and allegations stated by the US administration to justify the move.
The statement said that terrorism reports issued annually by the US States Department since 2002 continued to acknowledge Sudan’s full cooperation with the US in combating terrorism.
“But despite that and in an apparent contradiction, it [the US] maintains its [Sudan’s] name on what is called state sponsors of terrorism for reasons that has nothing to do with terrorism … the US officials themselves acknowledged that maintaining Sudan’s [name] on that list was due to political reasons that has nothing to do with terrorism,” it added.
The foreign ministry pointed that the US States Department report ignored the huge efforts made by the Sudanese government to achieve peace in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
It said the government continued to negotiate with the rebel groups under the auspices of the African Union, also pointing that significant strides have been made in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
Further, Khartoum wondered why Washington didn’t condemn “hostile and terrorist acts” carried out by the rebel groups against civilians including destruction of property and threatening social peace.
It also noted the report didn’t mention seriousness of the Sudanese government to ensure the success of the national dialogue initiative launched by president Omer al-Bashir, saying the initiative was accepted by most of the political parties, civil society organization and the Sudanese people at large.
The statement said the Sudanese government continued to call for the need to achieve a final and comprehensive solution for the conflicts through negotiations, and to engage then in a political process which would eventually lead to the peaceful transformation of power and promote security and stability across the country.
“However, the armed groups refuse [to engage] in dialogue and seek to resolve conflicts of a political nature through military action which forced the government to carry out its duty in protecting people and establishing security and stability by confronting the rebels and defeating them,” it added.
The foreign ministry stressed the Sudanese government offered guarantees for the armed bearers to take part in the dialogue inside the country which emphasizes its seriousness to achieve peaceful solution for the crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
It regretted that the US States Department report didn’t mention Sudan’s cooperation to allow humanitarian access to the affected areas.
“Sudan rejects maintaining its name on that list [of state sponsors of terrorism] and asserts that double standards harm interests of the Sudanese people particularly as keeping its name on the list entails economic sanctions which target the basic services and the right for stability and sustainable development,” the statement says.
The east African country has also been subject to comprehensive economic sanctions since 1997 over terrorism charges and human right abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.
Despite intense lobbying by Khartoum, the US administration kept Sudan on the terrorism list drawing frustration and rebuke from Sudanese officials.
Last year, an unnamed Sudanese official announced to the official news agency that Khartoum is in the process of reviewing an unheard of anti-terrorism accord it has with the Washington to protest the status of political relations between the two countries.
(ST)