'Fundamental change': Mike Pompeo says Sudan no longer on list of terror sponsors
Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that President Donald Trump's administration, in a"fundamental change", has removed Sudan from the List of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could help the African country get international loans to revive its battered economy and end its pariah status.
"Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism is officially rescinded.This represents a fundamental change in our bilateral relationship toward greater collaboration and support for Sudan's historic democratic transition," Pompeo said in a statement.
Sudan has had the designation since 1993, on the grounds that ousted President Omar al-Bashir briefly hosted al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and other wanted militants. Sudan was also believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
The move comes after a 45-day Congressional review period following Trump's announcement of his intention to remove Sudan from the list, which was swiftly followed by the announcement that Israel and Sudan intend to normalise relations.
Delisting Sudan is also a key incentive for the government in Khartoum to normalise relations with Israel.
The two countries have agreed to have full diplomatic ties, making Sudan the third Arab stateafter the United Arab Emirates and Bahrainto move to normalize relations with Israel this year. After Sudan, Morocco also established diplomatic ties with Israel.
Sudan is on a fragile transition to democracy following an uprising that led to the military's ouster of former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
The county is now ruled by a joint military and civilian government that seeks better ties with Washington and the West.
In October, Trump announced that he would remove Sudan from the list if it follows through on its pledge to pay $335 million to American terror victims and their families.
Sudan has agreed to pay compensation for victims of the 1998 bombings of the USEmbassies in Kenya and Tanzania, attacks carried out by al-Qaida while bin Laden was living in Sudan.
According to the October announcement, once the compensation money was deposited, Trump was to sign an order removing Sudan from the terrorism list on which it has languished under heavy American sanctions for 27 years.
Since Trump's announcement, the Sudanese government also inked an agreement with the USThat could effectively stop any future compensation claims being filed against the African country in USCourts.
That deal restores in USCourts what is known as sovereign immunity to the Sudanese government. It would however enter into force after U.S. Congress passes legislation needed to implement the agreement. Khartoum has said the $335 million in compensation money would be held in an escrow account until then.