Washington says lifting Sudan from terrorism list contingent upon ending conflicts
October 16, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The United States Secretary of State John Kerry said his country may lift Sudan’s name from the list of the state sponsors of terrorism provided that progress was made in resolving the conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Last June, the US State Department 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 US secretary of state said he recently discussed with his Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour measures that must be implemented in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile in order to lift Sudan’s name form the terrorism list.
“We talked very specifically about what needs to happen in the two areas, in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and in Darfur in order to perhaps open up a new channel to talk about how we might get them off the terrorist list if they deserve to be taken off it, but that we need to engage and we’re prepared to do it.
Kerry, who was speaking to Harvard University students during an event organized by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, added that Sudan was high on the US administration priority list, pointing that he was personally deeply involved in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) application and went to Sudan many number of times.
He pointed that Washington is ready to engage in dialogue with Khartoum provided the latter shows its seriousness, noting there are states in the region that can contribute to encouraging that dialogue.
“So if they’re serious this time around, there are other players in the region with whom I’ve had conversations in the GCC and elsewhere who have relationships with Sudan who I think are prepared to help us try to change that dynamic, and I would love to do it,” he said.
However, Sudan’s minister of culture and the leading figure at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), Al-Tayeb Hassan Badawi, told Radio Sawa that it is the United States who must show seriousness towards dialogue not Sudan.
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)