Fwd: [sudans-john-ashworth] Sudan, sanctions and "cease-fire"

[Elisabeth Janaina]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "John Ashworth" <ashwor...@gmail.com>
Date: 18 Jan 2017 17:48
Subject: [sudans-john-ashworth] Sudan, sanctions and "cease-fire"
To: "Group" <sudans-joh...@googlegroups.com>
Cc:

I have struggled with how to respond to this. Personally I agree with
those who believe that sanctions have little impact other than
symbolic, and that easing them will also have little impact other than
symbolic. However the announcement that Khartoum is to extend "the
unilateral cessation of hostilities in war zones for six months" is
stunning in its duplicity. Following the recent US election and the UK
Brexit campaign we have become accustomed to outright lies from our
highest leaders, but to announce the extension of a non-existent
cease-fire for another six months when there is incontrovertible
evidence of a huge military build-up of government forces and militia
who are about to launch a massive dry-season offensive against the
people of the Nuba Mountains seems to reach a new level of cynicism
which should not be allowed to pass unnoticed.

John

BEGIN

1. Obama administration eases Sudan sanctions

January 13 - 2017 WASHINGTON - Radio Dabanga

(UPDATE 19:30) The United States ordered the easing of financial
sanctions against Sudan in recognition of what the Obama
administration says are positive actions in countering terrorism, days
before President Obama leaves office.

The outgoing Obama administration is taking the steps as a show of
goodwill toward the government of President Omar Al Bashir. The
executive order issued on Friday revokes parts of a U.S. trade
embargo, in place since the Bill Clinton administration in 1997.
President Obama also lifted a freeze on certain assets of Al Bashir's
government, in light of Sudan's “positive actions over the past six
months.

“These actions include a marked reduction in offensive military
activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of
hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the
improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as
cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts
and the threat of terrorism,” Obama said.

The U.S. branding of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism remains,
which has been on this list since 1993, along with Iran and Syria.
2006 saw the imposition of additional American sanctions against Al
Bashir's government, for complicity for the violence in Darfur.

'All prohibited transactions, including those involving property in
which Sudan has an interest, are to be authorised'

President Obama built in a six-month waiting period before the
benefits for Sudan come into effect. By July 12, several U.S. agencies
would have to affirm to the White House - which will be controlled by
President-elect Donald Trump - that Sudan is continuing taking
positive steps before the sanctions would be eased.

President-elect Donald Trump has not taken any public positions on
Sudan, though he has vowed to put cracking down on terrorism at the
centre of his foreign policy.

Regulations to be revealed

Radio Dabanga obtained a document of the U.S. Department of the
Treasury that is said to be published in the Federal Register on 17
January. It states that 'all prohibited transactions, including
transactions involving property in which the Government of Sudan has
an interest' are to be authorised.

'Newly authorized transactions include the processing of transactions
involving persons in Sudan; the importation of goods and services from
Sudan; the exportation of goods, technology, and services to Sudan;
and transactions involving property in which the Government of Sudan
has an interest.'

The document mentions that the sanctions continue 'to require in
pertinent part that the export of agricultural commodities, medicine,
and medical devices to Sudan shall be made pursuant to one-year
licenses issued by the U.S. government'. Procedures are in place to
deny authorisation for exports to Sudan that 'are determined to
promoting international terrorism', while the new general license does
not allow the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or drugs
trafficking.

Obama's decision falls less than three months after the U.S. State
Department extended the sanctions against Sudan for another year,
based on his administration's findings that Sudan has reduced military
aerial bombardment in the Darfur region and other conflict areas and
is allowing greater access to humanitarian relief in these areas.

Aerial bombings

A UN Security Council report from September 2016, however, stated that
on 7 August, the Sudanese army conducted aerial bombardments targeting
rebel positions in the areas east of Nierteti. Its aircraft reportedly
carried out further aerial bombardments in Boldon on 27 August.

'The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (Unamid) was
unable to verify those reports, including the number of casualties
reported in the media, owing to the repeated refusal of the Government
to grant access to the area, citing security reasons,' the UN
Secretary-General's report read.

Large-scale military operations and air raids against the armed
movements' positions in the Jebel Marra Massif between January and May
2016 displaced an estimated 138,000 people as of 31 March,
humanitarian organisations verified. An additional thousands of people
fled to caves higher in the mountains, witnesses reported to Radio
Dabanga. Attacks by the Sudanese Air Force struck the area almost
daily, in the government's attempt to crush the holdout forces of
rebel leader Abdel Wahid El Nur.

Reactions

Herve Ladsous, head of UN peacekeeping, told the UN Security Council
on Thursday that there had been a significant decrease in the
intensity of the conflict in Darfur, though he said “civilians remain
exposed to significant sources of insecurity . . . and the activities
of armed militias”.

Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, has
described Obama’s decision to ease sanctions as “inexplicable”. The US
“was sending the worst possible message to Sudan and other repressive
governments: if you co-operate on counterterrorism, then all abuses —
including by your president — will be ignored”.

John Prendergast, founding director of the Enough Project, an atrocity
prevention policy group, said the move meant the US giving up a
significant form of leverage. “Unfortunately, the Sudan regime
historically launches its offensives in February and March, when the
Obama administration will no longer be in office to calibrate its
response,” he said. “I really worry the sanctions easing is
premature.”

(Source: RD, The Washington Post, Financial Times)

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/obama-administration-to-lift-sudan-sanctions

END1

2. Sudanese government extends ceasefire for six months

January 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Council of Ministers on Sunday
has decided to extend the unilateral cessation of hostilities in war
zones for six months.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also
known as “Two Areas” since 2011 and a group of armed movements in
Darfur since 2003.

In June 2016, President Omer al-Bashir declared a unilateral
four-month cessation of hostilities. In December, he extended the
ceasefire for one month following a two-month extension declared in
October.

According to the official news agency SUNA, the Sudanese cabinet held
an extraordinary session on Sunday headed by al-Bashir and decided to
extend the ceasefire for six months.

The government decision appears to be part of a roadmap agreement
between Khartoum and Washington that prompted the latter to ease the
economic sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.

On Friday, the outgoing US President Barack Obama signed an executive
order to ease sanctions against Sudan enabling trade and investment
transactions to resume with the east African nation.

He said the move intends to acknowledge Sudan’s efforts to reduce
internal conflicts, improve humanitarian access to people in need and
curtail terrorism.

It is noteworthy that the SPLM-N, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni
Minnawi (SLM-MM), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in
October extended for six months the unilateral cessation of
hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and south Kordofan they declared in
October 2015 and April of this year.

Following six days of talks in Addis Ababa last August, the armed
movements and the government failed to conclude a deal on the security
arrangements and humanitarian access in Darfur and the Two Areas
prompting the African Union mediation to suspend the talks
indefinitely.

(ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article61401

END2

3. Obama says Sudan positive actions prompt partial revocation of sanctions

By Paul Brandus

January 13, 2017 (WASHINGTON) - Pleased with the Sudanese government’s
efforts in fighting terrorism, President Barack Obama - with just days
left in his administration- is moving to loosen economic sanctions
against it.

The president signed an executive order Friday easing - but not
eliminating -sanctions, which would permit greater trade and
investment between the two nations.

But the timing of Mr. Obama’s move pushes any final approval onto the
incoming administration of Donald Trump, who takes office on January
20.

In announcing the move here Friday, the president, in a letter to
Republican leaders in Congress, said "I have determined that the
situation that gave rise to the actions taken in those orders related
to the policies and actions of the government of Sudan has been
altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past six months.”

The lifting of sanctions would be delayed by 180 days, however. The
delay is seen as a way of further encouraging the Sudanese government
to continue its anti-terror fight—and to improve its record on human
rights. The six month delay means that by July 12, U.S. government
groups will confirm to the White House—which by then will be
controlled by Trump—that Sudan has continued to be cooperative on both
fronts.

The United States first imposed sanctions on Sudan in 1997, during the
presidency of Bill Clinton. Those sanctions included a trade embargo
and freezing of government’s assets, for what the U.S. called human
rights violations and terrorism concerns. Additional sanctions were
imposed in 2006, during the presidency of George W Bush, what the U.S.
called complicity in violence that was occurring in the Darfur region
of Sudan.

The move is not seen as unexpected, and follows a warming of relations
between the two nations. But the U.S. will continue to label Sudan as
a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House emphasized.

Attention now shifts to the Trump administration. Neither the
president-elect or any members of his staff have commented on their
Sudanese views. One Trump official who asked not to be identified said
that the issue of sanctions “is something that we are looking at,”
adding that it is “too early to make any sort of determination about
our future relationship.”

One U.S. official said the Obama administration has been pleased with
Sudanese efforts to curb travel by members of the so called Islamic
Sate (ISIS) through Sudan, and Khartoum’s crackdown on alleged
shipments of Iranian weapons to anti-Israeli groups.

Friday’s White House announcement emphasized that sanctions being
eased could easily be re-applied as needed in the future, if the
Khartoum government’s actions deem such a reversal necessary.

One U.S. official compared Friday’s move to other American efforts to
reach out to nations with him it has had bad—or nonexistent relations
with, such as Iran, Cuba, and Myanmar.

(ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article61380

END3
______________________
John Ashworth

ashwor...@gmail.com

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This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily
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