US President Barack Obama has decided to extend sanctions on Sudan for another year, saying Khartoum government’s policies remained an “unusual threat” to the national security of the United States.
Sudan has been subject to an American trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for terrorist groups.
On Monday, President Obama ordered the sanctions extended for one year starting from 3 November.”The actions and policies of the government of Sudan continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” he said in a statement.
But in a separate statement released on Monday, the US embassy said the one-year extension of sanctions was purely technical and that the sanctions could still be eased.
“It was part of a routine, annual process that does not prejudice the ability of the president to provide sanctions relief at any point in the future,” the embassy said.