Senior Washington officials say the US has proposed removing Sudan from its list of states that sponsor terrorism should the country successfully conduct both the south Sudanese and Abyei referendums. Both plebiscites are scheduled for 9 January.
The polls are a central component to a 2005 north-south peace deal that ended Africa's longest civil war. Arrangements for the Abyei vote on whether to join north or south Sudan, however, remain under intense debate, raising fears that it will be delayed. If the vote is postponed, southern officials have said violence will ensue.
Democratic Senator John Kerry on a recent trip to Sudan relayed this proposal to Sudanese officials.
Sudan was added to the US list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 after it was accused of harboring extremist. At the time, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network were based in the country.
Four years later, the US imposed comprehensive economic, trade, and financial sanctions against Sudan, citing continued support for terrorism.
Barack Obama, after assuming the presidency, renewed US economic sanctions on Sudan for at least one year while pressuring Khartoum to hold the referendum on the scheduled date.
Separate sanctions were imposed on Sudan in 2007 over the Darfur conflict. This set of sanctions–which have the biggest impact on the Sudanese economy and government–will, however, remain in tact until Sudan improves the humanitarian conditions in the restive western region, US officials said.
The same officials added that the US offer will motivate the Sudanese government to conduct the referendums successfully and on time.
US officials said Washington would remove Sudan from the list by July 2011. Sudan must also, however, cease all support to terrorist groups six months prior to the stated date.
The US offer requires the Sudanese government to respect the outcome of the polls, including oil sharing and nationality agreements.
Cuba, Iran, and Syria are also on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Sanctions imposed on these countries include a ban on arms sales and US aid as well as a number of restrictions on financial transactions.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
