Trump to Remove Sudan from Terrorist List Following 330 Million Dollar Payment

According to the New York Times, President Donald Trump has announced that Sudan will no longer be on America's terrorist list. This follows national orders by the United States' Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, that demanded that Sudan pay USD 330 million in compensation. The compensation is for alleged terrorist attacks on US embassies in both Tanzania and Kenya in 2008. BBC reports that Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok confirmed that the funds have been transferred and is "awaiting confirmation of receipt" from the US. The country is still reeling from over 17 years of civil wars and has been unable to engage in international trade due to having been blacklisted by the US.

Read: New Sudanese Peace Deal Ends Seventeen Year Civil War

Trump, who is currently running for a second term in office, announced the news on Twitter.

Sudan was added to the US terrorist in 1993 for allegedly sponsoring Al-Qaeda during Omar al-Bashir's presidency. Al-Qaeda, an Islamist militant organisation, was reportedly responsible for the simultaneous bombing attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 2008. The attacks killed over 200 people. Two years later, Al-Qaeda publicly claimed responsibility for the bombing of U.S.S. Cole Navy ship which killed 17 sailors and fatally wounded over 39 people.

This controversial announcement is seen by Africans as another bullying tactic by Trump to secure the presidency for a second term. Trump has never perceived African countries in a particularly good light and infamously called them "shithole countries". Furthermore, he implemented a Muslim travel ban on African countries that have predominantly Muslim populations. Trump's announcement is yet another tepid attempt to appear as a hero to the ever-threatened United States.

Sudan is recovering from 30 years of tyrannical rule under former President al-Bashir in addition to 17 years of violent civil wars. The Sudanese government only agreed to pay the compensation fee due to political pressures for the country to become economically stable. Hamdok reportedly said that Sudan was looking forward to the official notification by the US authorities. Being on the list, he said, had cost the country "too much".

Twitter responses have been contrary to Hamdok's optimism about the payment opening doors for Sudan. Many believe the payment should not have been made in the first place.