The United States announced it was formally rescinding Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result of its “historic democratic transition.”
Sudan was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993 in part because of the policies of then-President Omar al-Bashir, who supported militant organizations such as Hamas, and harbored militants such as al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Over the past two years, a popular protest movement led to the ouster of Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades and whose policies often antagonized the United States and Israel.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the achievement was made possible by the efforts of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government “to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime.
"He commended the Sudanese people for their continued calls for “freedom, peace, and justice,” and congratulated the transitional government for its “courage in advancing the aspirations of the citizens they serve.”
From his Twitter account, Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok thanked Pompeo and added, “Today we return to the international community with all our history, the civilization of our people, the greatness of our country and the vigor of our revolution.”
The move was not unexpected, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced in October plans to remove Sudan from the terror list after the government agreed to pay $335 million to settle claims by victims of the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen’s coast in 2000.
The unelected transitional government also agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
