Saudi Arabia says working to cancel Sudan’s terror state designation

October 6, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Saudi Arabia is working to remove Sudan from the US state sponsors of terrorism list said the Saudi foreign minister in a Twitter released after a meeting between King Salman and Sudanese top leaders.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan head of Sudan Sovereign Council and the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok were in the Saudi capital Riyadh on an invitation by King Salman.

The two Sudanese who are in their first joint travel held a meeting with the Saudi monarch to discuss bilateral relations and “ways of enhancing and developing bilateral cooperation in various fields,” said the official Saudi Press Agency.

For its part, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a short statement saying ” The Kingdom is working to remove Sudan from the (US) list of state sponsors of terrorism”

Also, the oil-rich country is “Establishing a number of ambitious investment projects” and improving the existing projects (in Sudan”.

Saudi Arabia pledged to use its good relations with Trump administration to cancel Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

However, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy says that they have a long process to observe before removing Sudan from the blacklist.

“Removing the state sponsor of terrorism designation is not an event it is a process,” he said in response to a question by the Sudan Tribune on 2 October.

Different reports say Washington is now preparing a new roadmap for Sudan’s removal from the terror list.

Previously besides the counterterrorism cooperation, the US administration focused on humanitarian access, improving the Government of Sudan’s human rights and religious freedom practices, and ensuring that the Government of Sudan is committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.

Nagy said they would hold a meeting for Friend of Sudan group which includes Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to ask then to provide Sudan with needed funds until they finalize the cancellation process which may take a year.

Al-Burhan and Hamdok are expected to fly to Abu Dhabi on Monday for talks with Emirati leaders.

(ST)