April 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has called for a total and unconditional abrogation of U.S economic sanctions, one day after Washington suddenly exempted the country’s largest private bank from the blacklist of Sudanese entities and individuals subjected to the sanctions imposed since 1997.

Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday called on the U.S Administration to repeal economic sanctions on Sudan “without a condition or reservation,” as put by the ministry’s spokesman Khalid Moussa.

Moussa said that although Sudan commends the positive step of removing the Bank of Khartoum from the sanctions list but at the same time notes that the partial removal of financial institutions is not very beneficial despite its positive signal. The spokesman added that the Sudanese people are entitled to enjoy the fruits of the peace for the achievement of which they had sacrificed so much.

Sudan’s calls come one day after the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unexpectedly removed the private Bank of Khartoum and its 50 branches from the blacklist, rendering it effectively able to ask the return of blocked funds and assets and resume its activities with the US financial institutions.

However, A US official said the decision is motivated by the fact that it is no longer under the Sudanese government’s control.

U.S’s comprehensive economic, trade and financial sanctions were imposed on Sudan since October 1997 in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003’s outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.

The OFAC announced in a press release this month that the prospective South Sudan Republic (SSR) will be exempt from the sanctions. The region voted in a referendum earlier this year to secede from the mainland Sudan and form an independent state on 9 July.

"Following interagency consultations, OFAC has concluded that the SSR will continue to apply only to Sudan and the Government of Sudan, and that such a new state and its government will not be subject to them"

US officials have promised to ease economic sanctions and remove Sudan’s name from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List (SSTL) in recognition of the successful conclusion of South Sudan referendum and Khartoum’s acceptance of its outcome.

However, Washington made it clear that a total removal of economic sanctions is contingent on finding a settlement to the conflict in Darfur.

Yasir Arman, the secretary-general of the northern sector of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, which controls South Sudan, infuriated Khartoum when he urged the U.S administration during a recent visit to Washington not to lift economic sanctions on Sudan unless the government demonstrates commitment to democratic transformation.

Khalid Moussa, told reporters in Khartoum’s that Arman’s call constitutes "a breach of national agendas and principles."

(ST)