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On Monday, the United States officially removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in which it was included in 1993.
This came after President Donald Trump announced on October 23, 2020 that Sudan was officially removed from the list, emphasizing that the country is on the verge of normalizing relations with Israel.
The White House said the transitional government in Sudan had deposited $ 335 million as part of a deal to pay compensation to the survivors and families of the Americans killed in the attacks when Bashir was providing refuge for al Qaeda.
The following are the highlights of the tense relations between Sudan and the United States over the past three decades.
Bin Laden and Carlos
After Omar al-Bashir seized power in a coup in June 1989 with the support of Islamists, Sudan became a haven for militants, including al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Sudan also received Eilish Ramírez Sánchez, known as Carlos, one of the most wanted people in the world for his involvement in international terrorism in the late 1970s and 1980s.
1993: The United States placed Sudan on the list of “states sponsoring terrorism.”
1994: Carlos was arrested in Khartoum by the French anti-spy services, after Sudan concluded a secret agreement with the United States and France.
1996: Washington closes its embassy in Khartoum, following the imposition of international sanctions on Sudan, followed by an economic embargo.
September 11 bombings and attacks
1998: The United States bombed a drug manufacturing plant in Khartoum in response to Al-Qaeda attacks on its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Washington announced at the time that the facility was linked to the production of chemical weapons.
2001: Khartoum denounces the September 11 attacks in the United States and affirms its support for the war against terrorism.
Stick and carrot
June 2004 – US Secretary of State Colin Powell becomes the highest ranking US official to visit Sudan since 1978 for talks about the conflict in the western Darfur region of the country, which he describes as “genocide”.
The rapprochement continues with the visit of his successor, Condoleezza Rice, the following year.
2006-2007: tightening of United States sanctions against Sudan.
2008: An American diplomat and his driver are killed in a shooting attack in Khartoum. And sentence four Islamists to death for the attack.
2010: US sanctions against Sudan are expanded.
South Sudan gains independence
July 2011: Washington and Khartoum recognize South Sudan on their independence day.
September 2011: Khartoum demands removal from terrorism list, but the United States says violence in Blue Nile states and South Kordofan must stop.
George Clooney comes on the line
March 2012: Washington urges Sudan to allow humanitarian aid into South Kordofan, and Hollywood star George Clooney accuses Khartoum of crimes against humanity.
August 2012: Following the clashes between Sudan and South Sudan in the oil-rich border areas, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urges both sides to stop the violence.
2013: Washington considers Al-Bashir’s application for an entry visa to the United States to attend the United Nations Assembly “disapproved”. The International Criminal Court is seeking Al-Bashir to answer charges of responsibility for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.
2014: The United States condemns the atrocities committed by pro-government militias in Darfur and the air strikes against civilians in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
Overthrow of Bashir
October 2017: The United States announces the lifting of a 20-year trade embargo on Sudan, but Khartoum remains on the terrorist list.
April 2019: Washington welcomes the fall of al-Bashir, who was arrested by the army after four months of popular protests.
December 2019: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces the dispatch of an American ambassador to Khartoum for the first time in 23 years.
Sudan is also removed from the list of “countries of special concern” for religious freedom.
February 2020: Sudan agrees to pay compensation to the families of 17 American sailors who died in an Al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole in 2000.
Sudan announces that a similar settlement will soon be reached for the families of those killed in the 1998 bombings against the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
The United States has accused Sudan of supporting the militants who carried out the attacks, but while Khartoum denies any involvement, it will agree to pay compensation if Washington removes it from the terrorist list.
The head of Sudan’s sovereign transitional council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is receiving an invitation to Washington. That same month, al-Burhan meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda.
October 2020: Trump announces the removal of Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism and confirms that Sudan is on the verge of normalizing relations with Israel.
Sudan is officially off the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the “sea change” in relations with Sudan, which was officially removed from the list of states sponsoring terrorism.
“Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism has been formally canceled. This represents a fundamental shift in our bilateral relations towards greater cooperation and support for Sudan’s historic transition to democracy,” Pompeo said in a statement.
Pompeo added that this achievement was achieved thanks to the efforts of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan, to chart a bold new path away from the legacy of the Bashir regime.
Pompeo congratulated members of the civilian-led transitional government for their courage in advancing the aspirations of Sudanese citizens and praised the Sudanese people’s calls for freedom, peace and justice.
