WASHINGTON/KHARTOOM – Molly Fei, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, will travel to Sudan for five days, from June 5-9, to meet a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders and political actors.
A press statement from the Office of the US State Department spokesman said Assistant Secretary Fei’s visit is in support of the Sudanese-led process, which is being carried out by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU). is easy. ), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) tripartite mechanism, to resolve the crisis following the military coup of October 25 last year.
“While in Sudan, Assistant Secretary Fei will meet with a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders and political actors and discuss with them the opportunities offered by the UN-AU-IGAD-facilitated process to restore the transition to democracy and economic stability. Will urge to seize it. Take the peace forward.”
The US State Department statement concludes, “The United States remains committed to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people.”
As reported by Radio Dabangg last week, the appointment of an official US ambassador to Sudan comes after US ambassador candidates for Sudan and South Sudan, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya appeared before a US Senate committee in Washington. One step forward. , If John Godfrey, who has been nominated to take office by the Biden administration, is appointed, he would be the country’s first full-ranked ambassador in 25 years. Sudan is currently served by a deputy ambassador.
Sudan-US Relations
Relations between Washington and Khartoum have been strained following the October 25 military coup last year, following a distinct thaw in US-Sudan relations following the overthrow of the al-Bashir regime and a movement toward a democratic transition.
The United States suspended all aid to Sudan after the coup, saying that “the United States is withholding $700 million in emergency aid appropriation of the Economic Assistance Fund for Sudan. Those funds are aimed at the country’s democratic The transition was to be supported as we evaluate the next step for Sudan programming.”
On 11 May, the US Senate passed a draft resolution “condemning the military coup in Sudan and supporting the Sudanese people”, and the House of Commons also unanimously passed a non-binding resolution with a quick vote without objection. passed.
On March 23, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved a draft resolution condemning the military coup in Sudan and calling on the US administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for the coup.
The draft resolution came two days after the US Treasury banned paramilitary Central Reserve Forces (called Abu Teira), which stand under police command over serious human rights violations pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Act*.
The Treasury listed excessively violent suppression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by security forces as the main reason.
There have been widespread calls for US sanctions targeting Sudan’s sovereignty council chairman General Abdelfattah al-Burhan and deputy chairman Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo for engaging in serious human rights abuses after the coup.
In March, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced yesterday sanctions on the Sudan Central Reserve Police (CRP, popularly known as Abu Tira) for serious human rights abuses. The Treasury listed excessively violent suppression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by security forces as the main reason.
Last week, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against ‘Sudan companies linked to Hamas’, in which one financier, Hisham Younis Yahia Kafisheh, allegedly “at least two Sudan-based companies”. operate and manage the companies, Agrogate Holding and Al Rowad Real Estate Development, to generate revenue for the Palestinian conglomerate.”
bilateral agreement
In November 2020, Sudan and the US signed a bilateral claims settlement to “settle claims based on default judgments and allegations that the former regime of Sudan supported acts of terrorism”. According to the agreement, Sudan had to pay $335 million on top of about $72 million already paid for distribution to victims of terrorism.
Removal of Sudan from the SST list, decided in the final days of the Donald Trump administration, was conditional on a bilateral claims settlement signed in November 2020, based on allegations that “the former regime of Sudan supported acts of terrorism”. to adjudicate and resolve claims”. Sudan had to pay $335 million on top of about $72 million already paid for distribution to victims of terrorism.
In return, following the payment of compensation to the families of the victims of the 2000 bombing of the destroyer USS Kol in Yemen, and the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Dar el Salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya, default judgments and claims of Sudan in US courts. would be rejected, and Sudan’s sovereign immunities under US law would be restored to countries that the US has never designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST).
*The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 authorizes the US government to sanction foreign government officials worldwide who are considered human rights offenders. Sanctions may include freezing their assets and banning their entry into the USA.
