Minnawi group urges Washington not to lift sanctions on Sudan
September 20, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minnawi has called on the U.S. administration not to lift economic sanctions imposed on Sudan.
Media reports in Khartoum on Monday said that senior Sudanese and U.S. officials will meet in New York on Thursday to discuss ways to normalize ties between the two countries and possibilities for implementing partial lifting of sanctions especially with regard to banking wire transfers.
Also, the U.S. Department of State on Monday hosted a conference in New York to discuss the U.S. sanctions on Sudan.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, SLM-MM leader Minni Minnawi said the crisis in Sudan and particularly in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile can’t be resolved by lifting the sanctions, pointing the conditions in the war-affected areas have worsened.
“The Sudan Liberation Movement strongly urges the US State Department not to lift the sanctions. Its SLM considered view that the US State Department planned conference (hold it on 19th September in New York) over the US Sanctions on Sudan should rather focus on examining the unprecedented violations committed against the innocent civilians rather than moving to reward the regime to perpetrate genocide” he said.
The rebel leader added the government militias known as Janjaweed continue to commit more atrocities in Darfur, “including their routine violations of attacking IDPs, raping women and looting civilian properties to exacerbate the on-going genocide in Darfur”.
“Under these circumstances any cooperation with this dictatorial Regime on whatever security justification will definitely be on the account of the miserable humanitarian situation and violation of moral obligation and at expense of democracy and the values of good governance which are championed and guarded by no other government in the world than the United State of America itself,” he said.
Minnawi further expressed readiness to cooperate with the international community in order to resolve the crisis in Sudan through a genuine national dialogue, reiterating that they are “most in need of peace for our people in displaced and refugee camps”.
Sudan has been under US economic sanctions since 1997 and remains on the US list of state sponsors of terror.
Washington eased the sanctions imposed on agriculture equipment and services, and allowed exports of personal communications hardware and software. Also, the US Treasury Department removed the private Bank of Khartoum from a blacklist of Sudanese entities.
(ST)