US moves to remove Sudan from terrorism blacklist

Feb 7, 2011, 19:15 GMT

Washington - The United States has initiated a process of removing Sudan from its terrorism blacklist following the completion of a referendum that granted independence to the southern part of the country, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday.

The US had discussed the possibility of removing the state sponsor of terrorism designation with the Sudanese government provided it complied with the 2005 peace agreement and held a credible vote on the referendum. The deal ended more than 20 years of civil war between the Muslim north and largely Christian and animist south.

A big step along those lines was completed Monday when Sudanese election officials announced results from a referendum last month showing Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to secede.

'In line with the bilateral discussions held between the United States and the government of Sudan, ... the United States is initiating the process of withdrawing Sudan's state sponsor of terrorism designation,' Clinton said.

Sudan has been on the blacklist since 1993 and most US trade with Khartoum has been cut off for more than a decade.

Clinton, however, cautioned that Sudan still must follow through on implementing the US-brokered Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including reaching agreements with the south on post-referendum issues like oil revenues.

'We urge both northern and southern leaders to continue to work together toward full implementation of the CPA, and urge them to work expediently to reach agreement on the post-referendum arrangements that will define their future and lead to a mutually beneficial relationship,' Clinton said.

Sudan must also demonstrate that it has no connections to terrorism for a period of six months in order to be removed from the list, Clinton said.

Read more about Sudan Elections

Read more about US