US Administration decides continuation of sanctions against Sudan
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - United States President Joe Biden has announced Continuation of the National Emergency with respect to the Sudan, meaning American economic sanctions will remain in place against the country.
The sanctions were imposed by former US president Clinton on November 3, 1997 and Biden told his country’s congress that the crisis behind the imposition of the sanctions, including the situation in Darfur, “has not been resolved” up until now.
“The policies and actions of the Government of Sudan, and the situation in Sudan and Darfur, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, as expanded by Executive Orders 13400 and 14098, with respect to Sudan.," said a US presidential message to the Congress on Saturday.
“On May 4, 2023, by Executive Order 14098, I further expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, finding that the situation in Sudan, including the military’s seizure of power in October 2021 and the outbreak of inter-service fighting in April 2023, constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
In a statement on sanctioning a senior military official, charged with purchasing arms and ammunition for the Sudanese army, the US administration cited Sudan’s relation with Iran and Russia as reasons why the government in Sudan remain, practically, in the US rogue states list.
Earlier this year, the US administration also, based on the State Department’s “careful analysis of the law and available facts, the administration decided that some members of the Sudanese Armed Forces SAF and those of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed war crimes in Sudan. It further said the president of the United States has also “determined that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.”
Although in 2017 and 2022, relative ease of the sanctions were observed and in 2024 a representative of the Sudanese collective Presidency, Lt. General Abdul Fatah Burhan paid a visit to the United States to address the UN General Assembly a move former President Bashir (1989-2019) was not able to do, still, Sudan has never fully restored bilateral relations with the US.
The Sudan would not be able to benefit from the debt relief and international development aid. In September, however, the US State Department decided to keep Sudan on its sanctions list, but said Sudan was doing well in combating international terrorism.
-0-PANA MO/AR 26Oct2024
