Sudan is expected to be officially removed from the US blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, but the move is still awaiting action by the Congress.
Earlier in August, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok held a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the country’s position as a state sponsor of terror. President Donald Trump announced the de-listing in October, an act desperately welcomed by Sudan amid severely restricted foreign investment. This new move could mean a lifting of previously imposed sanctions that have left the country economically debilitated.
Sudan’s current transitional government, replacing President Omar al Bashir’s rule, has attempted to ease relations with Israel, following US insistence. This is regarded as a major victory for Trump’s government, in the context of the administration’s “America First” policy which vows to bring American victims of Sudan’s past ‘terrorist’ acts justice.
The North African country was added to the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993, under the Clinton government. It was accused of harboring groups such as Hezbollah among others, that fell under the US definition of terrorism. This denunciation resulted in Sudan being vehemently cut off from the global economy, drawing away almost all forms of foreign investment while enabling corruption and inflation.
The new deal could, once again, bridge Sudan with military aid, foreign investment and debt relief amid a giant wave of economic crisis.
