Qatar has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his intention to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Qatar looks forward to the completion of the procedures to remove Sudan from the US list as soon as possible, expressing hope that the prospective step would contribute to supporting the democratic transition process in Sudan.
The statement renewed Qatar’s support for Sudan and the aspirations of its brotherly people to achieve economic stability, progress and prosperity.
Reuters adds from Khartoum: Sudan has transferred the compensation it has agreed to pay US victims of militant attacks and their families, paving the way for its reintegration into the global economy after nearly three decades of isolation, the central bank governor said yesterday.
The payment of $335mn is part of a deal with the United States to get Sudan removed from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, which has been a hurdle for Khartoum as it sought debt relief and external borrowing.
Sudan has transferred the required amount, bank governor Mohamed al-Fatih Zainelabidine told a news conference. Due to US sanctions dating back to the 1990s, Sudan has been largely cut off from international banking. But Zainelabidine said local banks could begin restoring correspondence relations next week following the US move.
“The Sudanese economy will not feel a fundamental change tomorrow morning,” Acting Finance Minister Hiba Mohamed Ali warned at the conference. “But there will be some rapid improvements, including moral and psychological.”
These include eliminating Sudan’s debts and commitments to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
