Signs of tension easing between Sudan and US

There are signs of tension easing between the US government and Sudan, in the wake of the two-day visit by America’s Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, Donald Booth, which ended on Friday. Booth’s visit included an announcement of the lifting of American sanctions, which have been in place since 1997, on a few key agricultural products, including sesame and guar gum.

Although other sanctions were lifted to provide Internet access to some Google apps earlier this year, most are still in place. They were imposed for Khartoum’s alleged support for terrorism. Booth discussed lifting the sanctions with the minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance, the governor of the central bank and the Sudanese first Vice President, Bakri Hassan Salih. He did not, however, meet with President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir, who has stood accused of war crimes in the conflict in Darfur since 2008.

After meeting with government officials, Booth held talks with the Sudanese Gum Arabic Company on Thursday. Company President Abdelmajid Abdelgader said that the US envoy was interested in whether exports of gum Arabic to the American market could be increased.

Gum Arabic is an emulsifier and stabiliser made from the branches of the Senegalese acacia tree. Sudanese gum Arabic was the only item exempted from sanctions so as not to deprive the US food industry of access to a key ingredient for its products.

Nevertheless, Abdelgader told the media that he had explained to Booth that gum Arabic production was being held up by US sanctions, such as the ban on international banking and other financial issues.

Booth made no press statement, but US embassy spokesperson Caroline Schneider said, “The visit comes within the framework of our diplomatic efforts to develop ties with the Sudanese and to discuss all issues framing relations between the two nations.”

The deputy chairman of the Sudanese Union of Business, Youssef Ahmed, told Anadolu news agency that he discussed the consequences of sanctions on the Sudanese economy with the American envoy. ‘’We told the delegation how much the sanctions are damaging the Sudanese economy and affect the life of the Sudanese people,’ he explained. ‘’Some fields, such as transportation, banking, quality control, oil, construction and communications, have been affected badly by these sanctions.”

According to a spokesman for the Sudanese ministry of foreign affairs, Ali Alsadig, it is possible that more sanctions may be lifted shortly. ‘’We are in a period of testing the American promises to lift the sanctions; so far, we have received some positive indications on that.”