Photo: by Gary Raynaldo /   Sudanese woman wearing the colors of her flag’s homeland Sudan at protest in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters in NY City  March 14, 2019, calling attention to the role of Women in the uprising, many of whom were arrested, and some faced the death penalty.

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The United States has imposed  visa restrictions on individuals residing both inside and outside Sudan who are believed to be responsible for or complicit in undermining Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government. “The United States continues to stand with the people of Sudan and the aspirations of the revolution that ousted former President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.  We support the civilian-led transitional government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who took office in September 2019,” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement Thursday announcing the visa restrictions.  Pompeo said the the US is taking the measures  under the Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(3)(C) on individuals believed to be responsible for undermining Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government’s efforts to implement the July 17, 2019, Political Agreement and August 17, 2019, Constitutional Declaration. 

“We strongly believe that Sudan’s Constitutional Declaration provides the best roadmap to begin the transition to a just, equitable, and democratic society.  Unfortunately, former Bashir-era officials and others continue to undermine Sudan’s nascent democracy.”

-Secretary of State Pompeo 

The secretary of state said the undermining Sudan’s democracy are engaged in actions including obstructing the work of civilian ministers, stalling implementation of provisions of the Constitutional Declaration, delaying preparations for drafting a new constitution and preparing for elections in 2022, and engaging in corruption or the abuse or violation of human rights in Sudan, which would weaken the authority of the civilian-led transitional government.   The visa restrictions could include the immediate family members of these individuals.

The list of these individuals is not publicly available; however, any application they may submit for travel to the United States will be adjudicated according to established guidelines, Pompeo said.

Sudan Appoints Its First US Ambassador In More Than 25 Years

Credit: Photo/ By Gary Raynaldo /  ©Diplomatic Times / Abdalla Hamdok, Prime Minister of Sudan

Following months of unrest and bloodshed in the Sudanese streets, a critical power-sharing agreement was signed on August 17, 2019  between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the civilian opposition alliance–better known as the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC).  In September 2019, the  Republic of Sudan appointed its first ambassador to the United States in more than 25 years.   Both countries have for two decades years appointed only chargés d’affaires at their embassies in Washington and Khartoum.  Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok visited Washington in December and the two countries agreed to exchange envoys.