Why in news?
The US removed Sudan from its State Sponsor of Terrorism list, of which the North African country was a part for over 27 years.
What happened?
- The listing kept Sudan off the global financial system since 1993.
- President Donald Trump said he would be removing Sudan from the terrorism list, in exchange for $335 million as compensation.
- This amount will be paid for victims of terror attacks on US embassies in East Africa in 1998 and on a US warship in Yemen in 2000.
- After the removal, Sudan normalised its relations with Israel.
What is the US State Sponsor of Terrorism list?
- The US Secretary of State designates countries that have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism as “State Sponsors of Terrorism”.
- The US can place four types of sanctions on countries part of the list,
- Restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance;
- A ban on defence exports and sales;
- Certain controls over exports of dual use items; and
- Miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.
- Sanctions can also be placed on countries and persons that engage in certain trade with designated countries.
- After Sudan’s delisting, three countries remain with the designation: Syria (listed in 1979), Iran (1984) and North Korea (2017).
- Sudan’s delisting would require approval from the US Congress and would take several weeks.
Why has Trump removed Sudan from the list now?
- Trump, who seeks re-election, wants to impress evangelical Christian voters in the US, who are seen as favouring pro-Israel policies.
- So, in the past four years, Trump has doubled down on measures considered favourable to Israel, such as
- Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, and
- Facilitated the normalising of relations between Israel and two Arab states– the UAE and Bahrain.
- Evangelicals form a major part of Trump’s conservative base.
- So, Sudan was removed from the terrorism list to make sure that it too would recognise Israel.
When and how was Sudan put in the list in the first place?
- The US added Sudan to the terrorism list in 1993.
- It was added after it was accused of harbouring groups such as Hezbollah and Palestinian militant outfits which US deems as terrorists.
- At the time, Sudan was ruled by dictator Omar al-Bashir, who had come to power in 1989 after toppling an elected government.
- Bashir was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa, and the 2000 bombing of the US warship Cole in Yemen.
What were the impacts?
- After its designation in the US terrorism list, Sudan was cut off from the global economy, and was starved of foreign investment.
- Its economy suffered another blow in 2011, when Christians and Animists in southern parts of the country, seceded to form the new country of South Sudan.
- This took away more than three-quarters of Sudan’s oil reserves.
- The country’s financial woes led to high inflation and price rises in essential commodities.
- This led to protests that led to Bashir being ousted from power in 2019.
What removal from the list means for Sudan?
- Since Bashir’s removal, an unelected transitional government consisting of both civilian and military leaders has been ruling Sudan.
- The new leadership has sought to veer the country away from Bashir’s hardline Islamic policies.
- However, Sudan’s continued presence on the list, despite Bashir’s ouster, added to the transitional government’s challenges.
- Now that it has been delisted, Sudan would rejoin the global economy.
- It will be able to access foreign investments and debt relief from international financial institutions (IFIs).
- However, Sudan’s government could face a domestic backlash as many blame the US of arm-twisting Sudan into compliance to recognise Israel.
Source: The Indian Express
