Permanent lift of sanctions on Sudan is imminent: agencies
October 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Increasing reports from Washington indicate that President Donald Trump would repeal definitively the 20-year economic embargo on Sudan very soon.
“An announcement is expected as early as Friday,” said the AP citing an official speaking on condition of anonymity. Reuters also said that the decision would be issued on Friday according to a U.S. administration official.
On Wednesday, the Financial Times said that officials tasked with the assessment process expressed satisfaction with the efforts done by the Sudanese government not only in the initial five-tracks agreement of last December but also with the three additional benchmarks announced last July including North Korea, human rights and religious freedoms.
Sudan which was suspected of having military deals with North Korea severed diplomatic relations with the regime of Kim Jong Un. It also “passed on information about bank accounts held by North Korean fronts, including names and amounts, according to a person briefed on the letter,” a U.S. official told the FT.
President Trump is expected to inform the Congress about his decision on Friday before to release it.
The move is supported by the U.S. security agencies which consider that Sudan is a regional actor they need to enhance their cooperation with Sudan in the counterterrorism. While the State Department says that sanctions have failed and advocated for a “soft power” approach to end the war and achieve democratic reforms in the east African country.
The Congress and human rights activists rejected the revocation of sanctions saying the regime of President Omer al-Bashir cannot be trusted and would be encouraged to commit further violations.
On 13 January 2017, former President Barak Obama decided to cancel permanently the sanctions on Sudan but delayed the implementation of the decision for a six-month period to encourage Khartoum to take further actions on the resolution of armed conflict and other political processes aiming to restore freedoms in Sudan.
(ST)