Obama eases Sudan sanctions, prompting anger
US President Barack Obama on Friday took the controversial step of easing economic sanctions against Sudan, trying to improve relations with a country whose leader is accused of war crimes and links to terror.
Obama informed Congress that he will lift trade and investment sanctions against Khartoum after a six-month probation period, although Sudan will still be designated a state sponsor of terrorism.
An end to fighting in Sudan's hotspots -- the Darfur region, as well as in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states -- had been set as a precondition for sanctions being lifted.
The outgoing president noted "a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan."
He also recognized "steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism."
Sudan was labelled a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993 and has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 over its support for Islamist groups.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was based in Khartoum from 1992 to 1996.
President Bill Clinton ordered the bombing of a factory in Sudan that intelligence suggested was being used to by Al-Qaeda to manufacture a nerve agent, a claim the owners denied vociferously.
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