Sudan chides keeping its name anew on US terrorist list
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June 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government has expressed
regret over the decision of the United States (US) to keep Sudan on
the list of the state sponsors of terrorism describing the move as
“double standards”.
PNG - 114.2 kb
Sudan was placed on the US terrorism list in 1993 over allegations it
was harbouring Islamist militants working against regional and
international targets.
The US State Department on Friday released the 2014 terrorism report
maintaining Sudan’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism and
mentioning the existence of certain terrorist groups in the country as
well as links between Khartoum and some of these organizations.
“The Government of Sudan has taken steps to limit the activities of
these elements and has worked to disrupt foreign fighters’ use of
Sudan as a logistics base and transit point for terrorists going to
Syria and Iraq. However, groups continued to operate in Sudan in 2014
and there continued to be reports of Sudanese nationals participating
in terrorist organizations,” the report says.
The report also noted that Sudan continued to allow members of the
Islamic militant group of Hamas which is control of the Gaza strip to
travel, fundraise, and live in Sudan.
Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it
rejects reinsertion of Sudan on the black list, pointing it also
refuses claims and allegations stated by the US administration to
justify the move.
The statement said that terrorism reports issued annually by the US
States Department since 2002 continued to acknowledge Sudan’s full
cooperation with the US in combating terrorism.
“But despite that and in an apparent contradiction, it [the US]
maintains its [Sudan’s] name on what is called state sponsors of
terrorism for reasons that has nothing to do with terrorism … the US
officials themselves acknowledged that maintaining Sudan’s [name] on
that list was due to political reasons that has nothing to do with
terrorism,” it added.
The foreign ministry pointed that the US States Department report
ignored the huge efforts made by the Sudanese government to achieve
peace in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
It said the government continued to negotiate with the rebel groups
under the auspices of the African Union, also pointing that
significant strides have been made in the implementation of the Doha
Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
Further, Khartoum wondered why Washington didn’t condemn "hostile and
terrorist acts" carried out by the rebel groups against civilians
including destruction of property and threatening social peace.
It also noted the report didn’t mention seriousness of the Sudanese
government to ensure the success of the national dialogue initiative
launched by president Omer al-Bashir, saying the initiative was
accepted by most of the political parties, civil society organization
and the Sudanese people at large.
The statement said the Sudanese government continued to call for the
need to achieve a final and comprehensive solution for the conflicts
through negotiations, and to engage then in a political process which
would eventually lead to the peaceful transformation of power and
promote security and stability across the country.
“However, the armed groups refuse [to engage] in dialogue and seek to
resolve conflicts of a political nature through military action which
forced the government to carry out its duty in protecting people and
establishing security and stability by confronting the rebels and
defeating them,” it added.
The foreign ministry stressed the Sudanese government offered
guarantees for the armed bearers to take part in the dialogue inside
the country which emphasizes its seriousness to achieve peaceful
solution for the crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
It regretted that the US States Department report didn’t mention
Sudan’s cooperation to allow humanitarian access to the affected
areas.
“Sudan rejects maintaining its name on that list [of state sponsors of
terrorism] and asserts that double standards harm interests of the
Sudanese people particularly as keeping its name on the list entails
economic sanctions which target the basic services and the right for
stability and sustainable development,” the statement says.
The east African country has also been subject to comprehensive
economic sanctions since 1997 over terrorism charges and human right
abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed
since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.
Despite intense lobbying by Khartoum, the US administration kept Sudan
on the terrorism list drawing frustration and rebuke from Sudanese
officials.
Last year, an unnamed Sudanese official announced to the official news
agency that Khartoum is in the process of reviewing an unheard of
anti-terrorism accord it has with the Washington to protest the status
of political relations between the two countries.
(ST)
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Kind regards,
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
24 June 05:59, by Akol Liai Mager
Keep the genocidal regime’s leaders on top of terrorists list.
They have not changed and will never change their terrorist
activities.
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