US Offers To Remove Sudan From State Terror List

8 November 2010 – (Khartoum) – The US senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the US will remove Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism if the referendum in the south is carried out as scheduled.

The removal of sanctions is part of a proposal by the US to help resolve disputes over the referendum.

John Kerry spoke to the press upon his arrival in Khartoum on Sunday from Juba.

[John Kerry]: "The President would like to see the referendum take place as scheduled. He has provided the leaders with an option regarding the sanctions and he is ready to do his part. Your leaders should seize the opportunity and make the most of the next two months. I believe the president will be able to make appropriate considerations about sanctions as I have told you. He has put specific set of proposals for your leaders. And it’s really now up to the leaders in Sudan, both in the north and the south, to seize this opportunity. But may I say in fairness, that your leaders have shown their commitments to carry out the referendum in time. They presented to me, both north and south their commitment to find a peaceful path forward and resolve this issue."

John Kerry had warned during his last visit of tougher sanctions if either governments in the north or the south places obstacles in the way of the referendum in the south.