U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale on Wednesday said Washington still needs to settle some longstanding issues with Sudan before making a move to erase the east African country’s name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, reported Reuters.
“There are a number of things that we look forward to engaging with a civilian-led government in Sudan,” Hale said during a news conference in Khartoum on Wednesday.
He added that the list includes issues including human rights, religious freedom, and counter-terrorism efforts, as well as promoting internal peace, political stability and economic recovery in Sudan.
The announcement came after Sudan Foreign Ministry’s Acting Undersecretary Omer Dahab appealed to the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Donald Booth to get Sudan’s name removed from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Hale said the U.S. government’s decision to suspend discussions on the lifting of terror list with Khartoum is still valid. Notably, Washington had started talks with President Omar al-Bashir’s government on the terror list in November last year but suspended it in April after the collapse of his regime.
Hale arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday where he met with representatives of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC), the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), and civil society groups.
“We also discussed the importance of a thorough and independent investigation into the violence that has claimed numerous lives, according to credible reports, since the former regime was deposed,” Hale said.
Hale added that the U.S. government is working to help the Sudanese people to make successful the three-year transition towards a democratic regime period.
“America is fully committed to helping Sudan transition to a civilian-led government that reflects the will of the people,” Hale said.
Further, he said he heard strong commitments from all parties he met to make the transition a success and that there be responsibility and accountability.
