Khartoum: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday that Cairo was supporting efforts to remove Sudan from Washington’s blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, a key factor hindering the African country’s economic revival.
Shoukry is in Khartoum for a one-day visit to hold talks with top officials in what Cairo hailed as a “new start” in relations between the neighbours as Sudan transitions towards civilian rule.
On Monday, Shoukry held talks with new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Sudan’s first female foreign affairs minister, Asma Mohamed Abdalla.
He also met General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, the head of a joint civilian-military sovereign council that is overseeing Sudan’s transition.
Shoukry said that during his talks, which aimed to “boost relations between the two countries”, he offered Cairo’s backing for dropping Sudan from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. “Egypt is supporting Sudan to be removed from the terrorism list,” he told reporters. “We have also raised this issue with the United States of America ... we will continue pushing for it in coordination with the Sudanese authorities.”
Decades of US blacklisting along with a trade embargo imposed on Sudan in 1997 has kept overseas investors away from the country, in turn isolating it from the global economy.
Sudan’s worsening economic situation was the key trigger for nationwide protests that finally led to the ouster of leader Omar al Bashir.
Washington lifted the sanctions in October 2017, but still kept Sudan in the terrorism list along with North Korea, Iran and Syria.
Washington’s harsh measures were imposed for Khartoum’s alleged support for militant groups.
Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden used to reside in Sudan between 1992 to 1996. Washington and Khartoum have, however, engaged in negotiations to remove Sudan from the terrorism blacklist since the sanctions were lifted.
The Egyptian foreign ministry earlier said that Shoukry’s visit “shows Egypt’s support for Sudan and to its people in achieving their demands”.
Sisi and other Egyptian officials had regularly called for stability in Sudan after protests erupted against Bashir in December. — AFP
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