Washington, 5 November 1997 (RFE/RL) - The State Department says the United States is imposing tough new, unilateral sanctions on Sudan because of that African country's human rights record and its alleged support of international terrorism.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced yesterday that President Bill Clinton signed an executive order implementing the sanctions Monday night. She says Sudan has ignored repeated expressions of concern and milder sanctions in refusing to improve its behavior. In addition to its alleged support for terrorists, Albright accused Sudan of being anti-democratic and oppressive, and of persecuting religious minorities, particularly Christians.
The new sanctions will prohibit U.S. trade with Sudan, freeze Sudanese assets in the United States and block any other financial transactions. Albright says the goal of the sanctions is to deny Sudan the material and financial benefits of trade with the U.S.