Stop punishing Sudanese who rid the world of supporter of terrorism, Hamdok says
September 27, 2019 (NEW YORK) – Washington has to stop the punishment inflicted on the Sudanese people who rid the world of a supporter of terrorism, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said in a strongly worded message addressed to the Trump administration.
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly on Friday Hamdok recalled that the “Glorious Revolution” has come to turn the dark page of international isolation and sanctions, most notably Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Allow me here to tell you with full force and clarity: the people of Sudan were never a sponsor or supporter of terrorism, but it was the regime which they revolted and brought down,” he said.
“We in the transitional government call on the United States of America to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and not to continue to punish the people of Sudan for the sins of a regime that they were its first victim and the main actor of its overthrow so, they rid the world of its evils,” he stressed.
Protests in Sudan against the regime of former President Omer al-Bashir started in December 2018 and continued after his ouster in April 2019 to bring the army to hand over power to a civilian-led government.
On 21 August 2019, Hamdok, picked by the leaders of the protests, was sworn in as head of a transitional government and vowed to make achieving peace and solving the country’s economic crisis the top priority of his 39-month mandate.
However, U.S. officials seem not yet decided to help his government and delisting the poor east African country from its blacklist, while Hamdok’s economic emergency plan requires significant support of international financial institutions.
Sudan’s listing as a terror state prevents the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from providing any financial support to Sudan.
The African Union-United Nations Joint Task Force on Peace and Security held a consultative meeting on 21 September discussed the situation in Sudan and underscored the need for the total lifting of the economic sanctions and removal of Sudan from the list of States sponsors of terrorism.
The meeting underscored that Sudan’s removal is needed “to facilitate the mobilization of the much-needed international economic assistance to the country”.
Also, the meeting highlighted the necessity of the “early convening of a donors’ conference to mobilize resources for Sudan socio-economic recovery”.
(ST)