The US has lifted a long-standing designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, paving the way for Khartoum to once again engage with the international community, draw investment and seek financial assistance in overcoming a punishing economic crisis.
But why was Sudan designated a sponsor of terrorism 27 years ago, what did that mean for the country and why has the US removed the terror listing now?
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest developments:
What is a state sponsor of terrorism?
The US Secretary of State can declare a country a state sponsor of terrorism when, according to the US State Department, the country has "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism". This is a rare and drastic measure, currently applied to long-standing US adversaries such as North Korea, Iran and Syria.
What does the designation mean for a country?
Once added to the list, a country will face a range of sanctions, while US economic assistance can be blocked, as well as arms sales. Individuals within the country who are accused of links to terror groups are also at risk of targeted sanctions – their bank accounts could be frozen, for example, or they may be banned from visiting the US. Foreign companies trading with a listed country, particularly those thought to be supplying "dual use" items, in other words civilian material that could be used to make weapons, are at risk of financial and legal penalties. As a result, many foreign companies stay away and economic growth slows.
Why was Sudan declared a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’?
When Sudan was added to the state sponsors of terrorism list in August 1993, the US State Department was concerned that long-time autocrat Omar Al Bashir's regime was supporting hardline Palestinian faction Hamas, Lebanon-based Iranian proxy Hezbollah and Al Gamaat Al Islamiyya, an Egypt-based extremist movement linked to a range of Al Qaeda-linked affiliates.
Wasn’t Osama bin Laden involved?
In 1991, Osama bin Laden travelled from Afghanistan to Sudan, three years after he played a leading role in founding Al Qaeda.
After inheriting a fortune, the militant set up front construction companies in Sudan and was welcomed by Al Bashir.
At the time, the country was desperate for investment and Bin Laden was soon building roads and infrastructure but also using funds to plan terror attacks and recruit followers.
Business relations between Bin Laden and Al Bashir were complicated by delayed payments by the government. But the soon to be global terrorist remained friends with Sudanese politician Hassan Turabi, an Al Bashir ally.
In Sudan, Bin Laden found shelter and resources for his terror campaign during the 1990s.
He wasted little time planning operations. By December 1992, Al Qaeda had bombed two hotels in Yemen in a failed attempt to kill US troops who were briefly stationed in Aden.
While initial sanctions were about support for other groups, Bin Laden would soon be on Washington’s radar.
In 1995, Al Qaeda associates tried to kill Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, a plot that led both the US and the UN to place sanctions on Sudan.
Major terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda followed, including the 1998 attack on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
They led Bill Clinton to order controversial US air strikes on Sudan in response.
In 2000, an Al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole guided-missile destroyer killed 17 American sailors and in 2007, a US federal court held Sudan responsible, based on its prior relationship with Al Qaeda.
Bin Laden was expelled from Sudan in 1999, by then already the world's most wanted man.
But Sudan remained on the US sanctions list as a state sponsor of terror, in part for continued support for Hamas and for backing a range of regional militia groups.
Why has Sudan been removed now?
Al Bashir was removed from power by the military amid a popular uprising in 2019, leading to rapid change in the country and its leadership. But the US State Department had already begun to relax some of the sanctions on Sudan.
The new transitional government has presented policies amounting to a sea change in the country’s regional outlook, paying compensation for those killed and wounded in attacks by Al Qaeda carried out with its support and agreeing to establish ties with Israel.
While the designation was linked to the Al Bashir regime – now gone – it lingered.
A major sticking point was compensation for families of victims, as well as concerns in Khartoum that further lawsuits would continue to hit the state.
In October, Sudan paid $335 million in compensation for its alleged role in the 1998 bombings of the two US embassies in East Africa.
In return, Washington signed an agreement with Khartoum to restore sovereign immunity, protecting the state from further lawsuits.
Then on December 14, the US formally lifted Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, 27 years after putting the country on its blacklist.
"The Congressional notification period of 45 days has lapsed and the Secretary of State has signed a notification stating rescission of Sudan's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation is effective as of today [December 14], to be published in the Federal Register," the US embassy wrote.
What does the removal mean for Sudan?
After being on the state sponsors of terror list for nearly 30 years, the country's removal will allow it to again trade and seek investors at a time when Khartoum is facing a daunting economic challenge. More aid is likely from the US, the UAE and Israel. The country's removal from the list will also allow for quicker approval of World Bank and IMF assistance, although this was already under way following the end of Al Bashir's regime.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
The 24-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Company%20Profile
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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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Company%20profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI