Wednesday, November 2, 2011

US Extends Sanctions on Sudan

Economic sanctions first imposed in 1997 on Khartoum's government have once again had their repeal denied despite promises by the United States government to remove some sanction contingent on the 2011 Referendum's success.Link
Although the referendum is seen as having gone off fairly well, fighting continues in the contested regions of Abyei and the Blue Nile region causing US hesitation to remove long-promised change in the United States position in Sudanese politics. On Tuesday, President Obama extended the sanctions for another year stating "Khartoum's policies had not yet improved enough to warrant their removal."

Some small steps have been taken to reduce sanctions on farm equipment on the Sudan's crippled agricultural production in the wake of massive price inflation in struggling food markets. However, it has yet to remove Sudan from the list of State sponsored terrorists which is contingent on the continuing conflict in Darfur which Khartoum's government refuses to recognize as a genocide.

Economic sanctions against the South Sudan have been lifted by the United States to hopefully help foster economic development in the newly created country, but sanctions remain on oil exports as the economy of the South and Sudan are still greatly connected by this revenue.

By: Gina Fazio

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