Experts at The Sentry Welcome SST Delisting as Important Step, Call for Further Reforms to Address Bashir Regime Legacy of Entrenched Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows
October 19, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) – Today, the White House announced via a tweet from President Trump the removal of Sudan from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST). Experts from The Sentry are providing comment and are available for analysis and interview.
GREAT news! New government of Sudan, which is making great progress, agreed to pay $335 MILLION to U.S. terror victims and families. Once deposited, I will lift Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. At long last, JUSTICE for the American people and BIG step for Sudan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 19, 2020
Dr. Suliman Baldo, Senior Advisor at The Sentry, said: “The Sudanese people have been eagerly waiting for this moment following a peaceful mass movement that ousted the brutal Bashir regime. The Sudanese people have equally suffered from the deposed regime’s violent extremist actions that landed their nation on the US terror list. A democratic Sudan could be a bulwark of international peace and security in the region, and today the United States has taken a step toward being an ally of the Sudanese people’s efforts toward that future.”
John Prendergast, Co-Founder of The Sentry, said: “In order to support the transition to a fully civilian-led democracy, Congress must now pass legislation to restore Sudan’s sovereign immunity and end its longstanding status as a pariah state. The United States can also help through direct assistance, the promotion of responsible investment, and the targeting of corrupt networks in Sudan that continue to exploit the international financial system.”
Hilary Mossberg, Director of Illicit Finance Policy at The Sentry, said: “SST delisting is overdue and welcome, but is only the first step in helping Sudan overcome decades of the Bashir regime’s corruption and illicit financial activity. The government of Sudan should use this opportunity to develop an action plan to effectively enforce existing anti-money laundering and anti-corruption laws and policies and to transparently implement banking supervision reforms. These actions will help encourage economic development and foreign investment and ensure the country’s financial system is not abused by corrupt actors.”
For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Greg Hittelman, Director of Communications, +1 310 717 0606, gh@thesentry.org
ABOUT THE SENTRY
The Sentry is an investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers and seeks to shut those benefiting from violence out of the international financial system. By disrupting the cost-benefit calculations of those who hijack governments for self-enrichment in East and Central Africa, the deadliest war zone globally since World War II, we seek to counter the main drivers of conflict and create new leverage for peace, human rights, and good governance. The Sentry is composed of financial investigators, international human rights lawyers, and regional experts, as well as former law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, policymakers, investigative journalists, and banking professionals. Co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast, The Sentry is a strategic partner of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
