Two Steps Forward
16 February, 2020
Last week saw two events that are going to lay foundations for the country’s potential transformation. The first came through an announcement that the government has concluded a deal with the families of the US sailors killed in the bombing of destroyer USS Cole. That is one main step along the way to remove Sudan from the list of states sponsoring list (SST).
The other was the decision adopted by the German parliament, the Bundestag to repeal a 30-year old decision to suspend any development aid to Sudan, thus allows Germany a main power house in world stage to extend a much needed help. Moreover, Germany currently is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and as such it is in a position to help Sudan request to get an international political mission under chapter 6 of the UN charter to help through the difficult transition period.
The deal with the American families is significant in various ways. It sets a precedent for the other case that involves the families of the victims of the bombings of the two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania where the deal is intended mainly to pave the way for closing the file and delist Sudan from SST without recognizing the country’s responsibility for this or any future terrorist crimes.
Moreover, the deal means in effect resumption on the phase two agreed upon by both countries back in October 2018 and go for a six months period review in six areas that cover: stop all cooperation with North Korea and continue on combating terrorism, human rights and freedom issues, religious freedom, achieving peace, unfettered access of human organizations to troubled areas and conclude a deal with the families of the victims.
Though through five meetings much was accomplished and agreed upon, but the start of the anti-government demonstrations and their expansion led the State Department to suspend that dialogue a year ago. It took several months of intense activities to conclude the settlement deal and resume the talks on delisting. Looking at the six conditions put: four of them namely: human rights, religious freedom, easy access of humanitarian organizations and achieving peace are related to Sudan, while the remaining two that is stop cooperation with North Korea and continue cooperating in combating terrorism, in addition to settling the cases with the American families are the concerns of Washington.
In fact aside from achieving peace, all have been fulfilled except for the settlement of the two cases. And with the agreement on USS Cole half way has been crossed. On the face of it, reaching a similar settlement on the other case will pave the way for a final settlement, which is expected to be endorsed by the State Department to make it a government-to-government deal.
It remains to be seen whether the issue of relations between Sudan and Israel will crop up, though it was not initially part of the conditions agreed upon by the two parties. However, in politics the possibilities always arise especially in the Trump administration, which has been taking the most pro-Israel position ever taken by the White House.
Settling the delisting issue, which has symbolized the country’s isolation, is major step needed for the country to reconnect with the international community and world economy.
And that is the significance of the German move, which has led the way to extend support for the transitional government at this critical juncture of the country’s history and at the time Washington is dragging its feet. Hopefully other countries will follow suit on bilateral level.
Propping Sudan and make its experience a success story should be taken as a challenge not only for Sudan, but also for Europe, which has been suffering from human trafficking and illegal immigration. Europe has been trying to strike deals with authoritarian regimes to use their heavy hands and guard their borders and control immigration, but that exercise did not make much of success.
What Sudan hopes for is to establish a country worthy of its people, respects human rights and allows its citizens to exercise their talents and utilize its huge natural resources. If such experience is to succeed it will have a living example that solution to the multi-faceted problems facing many countries is to improve the conditions back home, not to look for ways out through private solutions.
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