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Thursday, 12 October 2017
 

Lifting Sanctions … Expectations Greeted with Great Caution

Khartoum -- after two decades of trusting in god, Arab, African, Asian, European and American nations have eventually respected

the Sudanese will to turn their unreal hostility to respect friendship and support Sudan at international forums.
The US decision to lift the sanctions on Sudan has been greeted great expectations and aspirations for improving their dire economic conditions to prosperity and welfare, a dream lasting for decades.
However, such optimism has been shadowed by cautiousness as the previous the US decision to ease the sanction has no tangible impact on people's life, especially on commodity prices, which have rocketed shortly after the announcement of the decision.
President Trump last Friday decided to lift the sanctions against Sudan since 1997, while he has maintained Sudan on the terror list, meaning Sudan will not be able to have its foreign debts waived or get additional development loans. 
Requirements:
Gen. Omar Nimir said that the US is fully aware of Sudan's natural riches and human resources capable of development and innovation and unwavering determination to push forward, but it has opted to keep Sudan on terror list in favor of their vested interests.
Nimir called for national unity – at the levels of civil society and political organizations – to work for boosting production and self-sufficiency, especially in the states, through easing taxations, customs and fees on basic commodities, production inputs, and most importantly upgrading infrastructure by adopting the BOOT system in constructing bridges, roads, dams and electricity plants.
The Governor of Central Darfur state Jaafer Abdel-Hakam Es-Haaq congratulated the Sudanese people on the end of the US sanctions against the country, a turn he said will have a positive impact on national economy, especially considering remarkable improvement in security conditions and stability in Darfur. 
Abdel-Hakam affirmed that his government will seriously work on the five areas to achieve further stability, pledging to cooperate with partners to ensure that Sudan is removed from the US list of states sponsoring terrorism in favor a lasting peace in Darfur.
The United Nations/African union Mission in Darfur Joint Special Representative (JSR) Jeremiah Mamabolo expressed his happiness about Washington's decision to lift sanctions against Sudan.
"Lifting the sanction will encourage Darfur opponents to sit and negotiate a sustainable peace in the region," JSR Mamabolo said, affirming UNAMID's preparedness to increase cooperation with Central Darfur's government to enhance stability.
The Governor of Central Darfur Jaafer Abdel-Hakam Ishaaq thanked parties he called "partners in Darfur peace" (UNAMID and UN Humanitarian agencies) for positively contributing to lifting the US sanctions on Sudan, calling on them to continue cooperation and coordination to achieve further stability for the region and encourage the US Administration remove all sanctions against Sudan.
The Governor confirmed his government's commitment to cooperation on the five areas to ensure sustainable stability. "We will seek to continue efforts with partners until Sudan is removed from the US list of states sponsoring terrorism," he said, pointing to the need to maintain cooperation with partners to peace in Darfur to arrive at aspired stability.
Great expectations
Many residents have demonstrated optimism that the lifting of the sanctions will alleviate the burden of dire living conditions Sudanese have gone through over the past decades. Many predicted that the decision to have immediate impact on their livelihoods and change for the better, especially drop in exchange rates and commodity prices.
"We do not only want drop in prices, provision of basic services, but also respect for right to live decent life as citizens," said a taxi driver. He demanded the government have mercy on residents.  
Shajan Merghani, a civil servant, expressed happiness about the decision regardless of its impact on people's life. "We have been in a closed area, which has opened now for us to breather a fresh air," she remarked, adding that the government succeeded in reading the situation and that the coming days will see improvement in economic movement with countries which were prohibited to do business with Sudan.
Ahmed Ali, legal expert, said that the impact of the decision on the country depends on what the government will achieve in the coming period, especially in respect of improving people's livelihoods and handling all previous shortcomings, adding that there the decision will be useless if things remain the same.
Ali demanded the government abandon its unfruitful previous policies by all means to reward the nations who have showed unprecedented resilience and patience in the face of a two-decade sanction. 
The Ministry of Foreign has welcomed the removal of the sanctions after twenty years, describing President Trump's decision as "positive". However, the question that revolves people's mind is what next after the US Administration has actually lifted sanctions against Sudan?