The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Obama
administration on Friday moved to lift the trade
embargo against Sudan in response to the East
African nation’s recent cooperation in helping to
tackle terrorism.
The lifting of the sanctions slapped on Sudan by
the Clinton administration will, however, be delayed
by 180 days to encourage Sudan to do more to
fight terrorism and improve its record on human
rights, the White House said in a statement.
“I have determined that the situation that gave rise
to the actions taken in those orders related to the
policies and actions of the government of Sudan
has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over
the past six months,” US President Barack
Obama wrote in a letter to members of Congress.
The United States first imposed sanctions on
Sudan in 1997, including a trade embargo and
blocking the government’s assets, for human
rights violations and terrorism concerns.
The United States layered on more sanctions in 2006
for what it said was complicity in the violence in
Sudan’s Darfur region.
There were signs last year of a thaw in relations
between Sudan and the United States, which
accuses Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of
war crimes related to the conflict-torn Darfur
region.
Friday’s move does not impact Sudan’s label as a
state sponsor of terrorism, the White House said.
On Sept. 20, the State Department welcomed
efforts by Sudan to increase counter-terrorism
cooperation with the United States.
(Reuters/NAN)