Sudan expects removal from US sponsors of terrorism

June 15, 2009 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor today told the parliament that he expects easing of US economic sanctions and removal from the list of states that sponsor terrorism.

Alor was providing legislators with the state of Sudan's foreign relations and performance of his ministry.

The top Sudanese diplomat came under fire from the parliament speaker earlier this month for failing to show up for the briefing he made today.

At the time Alor said his appointments prevented him from delivering his remarks back then.

On the relations with Washington the foreign minister said that bilateral dialogue is continuing and will soon lead to steps of normalization including lifting sanctions and delisting from the state sponsors of terrorism.

Alor said that the Netherlands convinced the US that sanctions policy do more harm than good in countries witnessing civil war particularly when the conflict is over resources and wealth.

He also revealed that a number of European countries including Germany and Sweden agreed to partially resume economic development aid to Sudan.

Hungary and Slovakia decided to forgive Sudan's debt, he added.

The foreign minister hailed the cooperation between Sudan and the African Union (AU) as well as the United Nations (UN) on the deployment of Darfur peacekeepers and humanitarian work.

He also valued the role played by the AU panel headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki looking into ways to resolve the Darfur crisis while ensuring accountability.

Alor said that efforts by his ministry and support received from Arab, African and Islamic countries against the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued for president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir last March.

He said this resulted in the failure by the ICC prosecutor this month to convince the UN Security Council (UNSC) to take action against Sudan for not cooperating with the court.

(ST)

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