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Sudan in talks with U.S. for removal from terror list, diplomat says

By Nicholas Sakelaris
An asylum seeker holds a Sudanese flag during a protest in Israel. Thursday, Sudan's top diplomat said the United States is considering removing the African nation from its list of states that sponsor terror. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI
An asylum seeker holds a Sudanese flag during a protest in Israel. Thursday, Sudan's top diplomat said the United States is considering removing the African nation from its list of states that sponsor terror. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The United States is in talks with Sudan to remove the African nation from the U.S. list of states that sponsor terror, a top diplomat said.

Sudan has been on the terror list since 1993, when Osama bin Laden and his followers lived in the North African country.

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"When Osama bin Laden was in Sudan, he had nothing to do with terrorism. Bin Laden Group construction company entered Sudan to start a development project of an airport," top Sudanese diplomat El-Dardiri Mohamed Ahmed told Voice of America. Thursday. "No particular terrorist attack was ever traced to Sudan, and no particular terrorist was named as a person who has taken Sudan as a refuge within the period in which we were listed as a state sponsoring terrorism."

"We feel the U.S. officials are ready to listen to Sudan and are ready to evaluate the situation on the basis of developments that are currently taking place in Khartoum."

Ahmed's remarks come after it was reported this week the United States has moved to the second phase of the process -- which includes expanding cooperation, facilitating meaningful reforms and making progress on areas of mutual concern.

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"The United States is preparing the process of rescinding Sudan's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism -- if the determination is made that all of the relevant statutory criteria have been met," said U.S. charge d'affaires in Sudan Steven Koutsis.

There have been concerns about possible war crimes committed by Sudan's government and other human rights violations. El-Dardiri said the country has worked with the United Nations on that issue.

"Over the period of the last two years, Sudan human rights records has improved immensely," el-Dardiri said.

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