14th December, 2020
By Harrison Arubu/New York
Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump has lifted the designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, in exchange for resumption of ties with Israel.
Mr Abdalla Hamdok, Sudan’s Prime Minister, made the disclosure on Monday on his verified Twitter handle.
“Today, after more than two decades, it has been announced to our people that the name of our beloved country has come out of the list of states sponsoring terrorism.
“This marks our liberation from the international and global blockade in which the behaviour of the ousted regime has forced us.
“Today, we return with all our history, the civilisation of our people, the greatness of our country and the vigour of our revolution to the international community,” Hamdok said.
The U.S. designated Sudan as a state sponsor of terror in 1993 partly for its alleged support of militant Palestinian groups such as Hamas.
Then under the leadership of its former strongman, Omar al-Bashir, the country was also accused of harbouring al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.
Al-Bashir, whose policies enraged the U.S. and Israel, was ousted by a mass protest movement in 2018.
Monday’s move means that Sudan will now regain access to international lending institutions and economic development.
Reports in U.S. media indicate that the removal followed several negotiations between Khartoum and President Donald Trump’s administration.
In return for the gesture, the appointed transitional government that replaced Bashir’s administration promised to normalise relations with Israel.
The Sudan government also reportedly agreed to pay 335 million dollars to settle claims made by victims of the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen’s coast in 2000.