FFC Leaders, U.S. Discuss Sudan’s Removal from Terror List

October 7, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The U.S. Envoy for Sudan, Donald Booth, discussed with the leaders of Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) the country’s removal from the terror list parties in separate meetings on Wednesday.

Booth who is currently in Khartoum after attending the signing of peace agreement with armed groups in Juba for talks with the government officials and the ruling coalition alliance.

He met with the head of the executive office of the Unionist Alliance and Omer al-Digair of the Sudanese Congress Alliance.

Babiker Faisal said that they discussed several issues particularly the removal of Sudan from the list of countries supporting terrorism, the current economic conditions, as well as internal political developments and the peace process.

"We met with the U.S. envoy to Sudan at the party headquarters in Khartoum. We informed him about the continuing (devastating) economic impact of Sudan’s inclusion on the terror list," he told Sudan Tribune after the meeting.

Sudanese are frustrated by the long process of Sudan’s delisting and the recent developments in Washington about the normalization of relations with Israel and demands of some lawmakers to pay compensations for victims of 9/11 attacks.

Faisal said that the meeting also touched on separating the process of removing Sudan from the blacklist from normalization with Israel, noting that the envoy did not comment on this matter.

The unionist leader affirmed that the discussion with the U.S. envoy was "frank and transparent, especially as Sudan made appreciative efforts to rescind its name from the terror list and fulfilled all the required conditions."

On Tuesday 6 October, the Sudan Joint Review Committee of the U.S. Department of State held a meeting with the participation of the Political Under Secretary David Hale but no the statement was issued about the outcome of the meeting.

Last month Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told the Senat his administration is preparing to delist Sudan during his month of October.

In a separate meeting, the visiting U.S. diplomat also met with the head of the Sudanese Congress Party, al-Dugair to discuss the political situation in the country.

In a statement released after the meeting, the SCoP said they discussed the current political situation in the country and the challenge facing the country including the peace process.

The meeting also discussed removing Sudan from the blacklist and U.S. support for the transition in Sudan.

(ST)