WASHINGTON, DC—In 1988, the United States first imposed economic restrictions on Sudan due to its egregious human rights violations. Since then, conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan have only increased the humanitarian disaster created by the Khartoum-based Government of Omar al Bashir.
Despite nearly three decades of bipartisan support for sanctions against Sudan, the Obama Administration decided to partially ease sanctions—with the first provisions taking effect on January 17th of this year, just three days before Obama left office. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on Africa, will be convening a hearing to review the reasons for the lifting of these sanctions, and to investigate what the effects will be on the people of Sudan, who continue to suffer under al Bashir.
“One week before leaving office, the Obama administration announced an easing of sanctions on Sudan, a state-sponsor of terrorism that has long harbored jihadi extremists,” said Smith. “The Khartoum government has also waged a long standing war against its own people in the Darfur region as well as in the Nuba Mountains and the Abyei area. This hearing will examine the suspect rationale used to propose the easing of sanctions against this East African nation.”
Who: Chairman Smith (NJ-04), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; other members of the Committee
Witness:
Mr. Brad Brooks-Rubin
Policy Director
The Sentry
Mr. David Dettoni
Senior Advisor
Sudan Relief Fund
Mr. Mohamed Abubakr
President
The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project
The Honorable Princeton N. Lyman
Senior Advisor to the President
United States Institute of Peace
What: House hearing on sanctions in Sudan
When: Wednesday, April 26, 2017 2:30 PM
Where: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2200 (second floor)
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