After US talks, Sudan sees path to lifting sanctions soon
PATH TO PROGRESS
Sudan’s prime minister said he had held useful talks with US officials while at the UN this week, and expressed hope Khartoum could reach an agreement to be removed from Washington’s state-sponsored terrorism list “very soon.”
Abdalla Hamdok, an economist, was appointed in August as leader of a transition government, vowing to stabilize the country and repair an economy battered by years of US sanctions and government mismanagement during Omar Al-Bashir’s 30-year rule.
But Sudan has so far been unable to tap the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for support because the US still lists the country as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Coming to the (UN) General Assembly provided us with a huge opportunity to meet many leaders in the American administration,” Hamdok told reporters on Friday after a high-level event to drum up support for his country at the annual gathering of world leaders. “We had a very useful discussion on the issue of state-sponsored terrorism. We hope as we move forward we will be able to conclude very soon an agreement that would allow Sudan to be delisted.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed support at the Sudan event, held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, for Hamdok’s efforts. He called for the immediate removal of “Sudan’s designation as a terroristsupporting state and lifting all economic sanctions and mobilizing massive financial support for development to make the current political gains durable.”
Shortages of bread, fuel and medicine coupled with hefty price rises sparked protests that led to the toppling of longtime ruler Bashir in April.