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Foreign Minister Maas on the removal of the Sudan from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made the following statement today (16 December) on the removal of the Sudan from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list:
I am delighted that the Sudan will now be removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list as planned. Since the fall of President Bashir, the Sudan has been on a path to peace and democracy. Its removal from this list paves the way for gradual debt relief and a further opening‑up of the country. Meanwhile, almost two years after the peaceful protests began, many Sudanese people may now finally see the transition process bring tangible benefits for themselves and their families.
At the Sudan Partnership Conference held in Berlin this June, we took major steps to plan out international assistance for the Sudan. It will now remain necessary to continue actively supporting the transition in the country. One way in which we will do so is through the political mission UNITAMS, which we were able to initiate during our membership of the UN Security Council and which German police officers are participating in.
Background information:
Following the peaceful revolution and the fall of President Bashir, the Sudan now stands at a historic crossroads. Initial political and economic reforms have been implemented and a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and the majority of armed groups was concluded on 3 October. However, the financial and economic situation in the country remains dire and has been exacerbated by the effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
President Trump announced plans to remove the Sudan from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list (SSTL) in November, and the deadline of 14 December for any appeal by Congress has now passed. To formally take effect, the removal must be announced in the US Federal Register, and this is set to take place shortly. The Sudan’s removal from the SSTL is crucial for the international community and private industry to continue their work in the country, and for a debt relief process under the HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) Initiative. Major steps were taken to plan out assistance by the international community, particularly the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, at the Sudan Partnership Conference held on 25 June in Berlin.