New Delhi (NVI): India today welcomed the removal of Sudan from the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism and Sudan’s normalisation of relations with Israel.
“We congratulate the Transitional Government and the people of Sudan on the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement, and hope that these positive developments will usher in democratic changes and contribute to enhancing Sudan’s development, peace, security and stability,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release.
India’s relations with Sudan are historic and special, and forged on the basis of shared values and close people-to-people contacts, it added.
In a big step on October 23, Sudan became the third Arab nation to normalise ties with Israel, days after the US removed it from its State Sponsor of Terrorism list, of which the North African country was a part for over 27 years.
Earlier on October 19, US President Trump had said he would be removing Sudan from the terrorism list, which effectively kept the impoverished nation off the global financial system since 1993, on a condition. Trump had said that he would be removing Sudan from the list in exchange for $335 million in compensation for victims of terror attacks on US embassies in East Africa in 1998 and on a US warship in Yemen in 2000.
The same day, Sudan accepted the offer and Trump tweeted: “GREAT news! New government of Sudan, which is making great progress, agreed to pay $335 MILLION to U.S. terror victims and families. Once deposited, I will lift Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. At long last, JUSTICE for the American people and BIG step for Sudan!”
On Friday (October 23), the White House released a separate statement which said that the US was formally revoking Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and that Sudan had transferred the $335 million into an escrow account on October 22.
The same day, the US, Sudan and Israel released a joint statement announcing the normalisation of relations between Sudan and Israel.
On October 26, Trump formally notified the Congress of his decision to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism and stated that “the Government of Sudan has not provided any support for acts of international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period” and “the Government of Sudan has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future”.
-ARK
