Washington explains reason for lifting Sudan boycott

The United States’ State Department has explained the reasons behind Washington’s lifting of sanctions on North Sudan.

“Today’s actions to lift sanctions were the culmination of months of bilateral engagement with Sudan,” the state department said in a press release.

The US and Sudan committed to focus on achieving progress in five key areas: ceasing hostili- ties in Darfur and the Two Areas, improving humanitarian access, ending negative interference in South Sudan, enhancing cooperation on counter-terrorism and addressing the threat of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

This process began in June last year. “Over a six-month period, Sudan made significant progress in each of these areas,” said the State Department.

“Our frequent and robust engagement over this period gave us a forum to routinely address these issues, build new areas of cooperation and use the incentive of sanctions relief as leverage to encourage Sudan to take positive steps, such as ceasing hostilities and committing to providing access for humanitarian relief to reach people in need of assistance. But we recognise a lot more work needs to be done.”

The department of the treasury’s office of foreign assets control (Ofac) has announced an amendment to the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR) that will authorise all transactions prohibited by the SSR.

During the next six months, US persons will be authorised by Ofac to engage in transactions involving persons in Sudan; to import goods and services from Sudan; to export goods, technology, and services to Sudan; and to engage in transactions involving property in which the government of Sudan has an interest.

If the conditions are met and the sanctions are permanently revoked in 180 days, US persons will be able to engage in these transactions without needing Ofac authorisation. – ANA