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Sudan suspends sanctions talks with US

July 12, 2017 at 6:12 pm

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir during a press conference on 4 April 2017 [Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency]

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has issued a decree freezing the work of a committee formed with the United States to negotiate sanctions relief until 12 October, state news agency SUNA said today.

Yesterday, the United States postponed for three months a decision on whether to permanently lift sanctions on Sudan over its human rights record and other issues.

Read: Will Sudan side with Russia and Iran if sanctions are not lifted?

Former President Barack Obama lifted the sanctions for six months starting in January and a decision by his successor, Donald Trump, on whether to scrap the measures permanently had been expected today.

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Sudan said yesterday that it had complied with all US demands for lifting sanctions, which have been in place for 20 years and have hobbled the country’s economy.

The US State Department acknowledged in a statement that Sudan had made “significant, substantial progress in many areas,” but it said three more months were needed to establish that the country had fully addressed Washington’s concerns.