US sanctions on Sudan extended for a year

US president Barack Obama extended sanctions on Sudan for another year last week, saying that Khartoum continues to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of his country. In a notice released by the White House on Friday, Obama referred to the decision of President Bill Clinton in 1997 to impose sanctions on Sudan in order “to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan”. The move prohibited all transactions by US nationals relating to Sudan’s petroleum or petrochemical industries, including oilfield services, and oil or gas pipelines. President George Bush renewed the sanctions in April 2006 because of the conflict in Darfur, and ordered the “blocking of property of certain persons connected to the conflict”.   The extended sanctions prohibit trade, credits, and loans to the Sudan, and blocks assets held by the government and certain officials in the USA. The Sudanese embassy in Washington reacted to the extension by issuing a statement on Saturday in which it denounced the “completely inexcusable unilateral sanctions”. In the beginning of this year, Washington came down hard on European banks that evaded their sanctions. In response, European and Saudi Arabian banks announced that they would stop their transactions with Sudan from the 1st of March onwards. File photo: President Barack Obama (thehayride.com)  Related:USA scrutinises German banks over dealing with Sudan (9 July 2014)’European banks cautious of US sanctions on Sudan’: banker (14 March 2014) ‘Suspension Arab bank dealings heavy blow to Sudan’: experts (2 March 2014) Saudi, European banks halt Sudanese transactions (27 February 2014)

US president Barack Obama extended sanctions on Sudan for another year last week, saying that Khartoum continues to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of his country.

In a notice released by the White House on Friday, Obama referred to the decision of President Bill Clinton in 1997 to impose sanctions on Sudan in order “to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan”. The move prohibited all transactions by US nationals relating to Sudan’s petroleum or petrochemical industries, including oilfield services, and oil or gas pipelines.

President George Bush renewed the sanctions in April 2006 because of the conflict in Darfur, and ordered the “blocking of property of certain persons connected to the conflict”.  

The extended sanctions prohibit trade, credits, and loans to the Sudan, and blocks assets held by the government and certain officials in the USA. The Sudanese embassy in Washington reacted to the extension by issuing a statement on Saturday in which it denounced the “completely inexcusable unilateral sanctions”.

In the beginning of this year, Washington came down hard on European banks that evaded their sanctions. In response, European and Saudi Arabian banks announced that they would stop their transactions with Sudan from the 1st of March onwards.

File photo: President Barack Obama (thehayride.com) 

Related:

USA scrutinises German banks over dealing with Sudan (9 July 2014)

‘European banks cautious of US sanctions on Sudan’: banker (14 March 2014)

‘Suspension Arab bank dealings heavy blow to Sudan’: experts (2 March 2014)

Saudi, European banks halt Sudanese transactions (27 February 2014)