Sudan welcomes US decision to lift 20-year-old trade sanctions

Khartoum says it is a positive development and urges Washington to remove Sudan from the list of terror sponsors.

A picture taken on October 2, 2017 shows fruit-sellers organising produce at a shop in the Sudanese capital’s twin city of Omdurman. With the lifting of United States’ economic embargo on Sudan, imposed in 1997 over Khartoum’s alleged support for Islamist militant groups, citizens are looking forward to a brighter future after enduring decades of isolation from the Western market.

The Sudanese government on Friday welcomed the US administration’s decision to permanently lift the 20-year-old economic sanctions on the African country.

“Sudanese leadership, government and people welcome the positive decision made by the US President Donald Trump on Friday to permanently lift the economic sanctions on Sudan,” Xinhua cited Sudan’s Foreign Ministry as saying.

“Sudan regards it as a positive development in the history of the Sudanese-US relations and a natural outcome of a frank, transparent and constructive dialogue that reviewed all concerns between the two countries,” it added.

'Will continue to cooperate with US'

The statement reiterated that Sudan would continue cooperation with the US in all the issues of mutual concern, namely in relation to preserving international peace and security and combating all forms of terrorism, illegal immigration and human trafficking.

In the meantime, the Sudanese government urged the US to remove Sudan from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

“Sudan is looking forward to building natural and progressive ties with the United States, but this necessitates removing Sudan’s name from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism,” said the statement.

It also called for cancellation of the negative procedures taken by US institutions against Sudan.