Africa: Sudan

More information about Sudan is available on the Sudan Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-SUDAN RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with Sudan in 1956, following its independence from joint administration by Egypt and the United Kingdom. Sudan broke diplomatic relations with the United States in 1967 after the start of the Arab-Israeli War. Relations were reestablished in 1972. In the 1990s, Sudan’s links with international terrorist organizations led the United States to designate Sudan a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993 and suspend U.S. Embassy operations in 1996. The U.S. Embassy was reopened in 2002.

The United States played a key role in helping create the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between Sudan and South Sudan that laid the groundwork for South Sudan's 2011 independence referendum and secession. Several disputes between Sudan and South Sudan remain unresolved post-independence, including border demarcation and the status of the Abyei region. The United States supports the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel to help the parties work through these issues.

U.S. policy in Sudan seeks to achieve a definitive end to gross human rights abuses and conflicts, including in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, and to ensure that Sudan does not provide a safe haven for international terrorists.

U.S. Assistance to Sudan

In the face of widespread humanitarian needs caused by conflict, displacement and natural disasters, the United States has been a major donor of humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan throughout the last quarter century. The United States supports democratic development in Sudan, as well as a transition from emergency assistance to development assistance where conditions and security allow. Current development assistance is focused on conflict mitigation and civil society engagement. No U.S. assistance is provided directly to the Government of Sudan.

Bilateral Economic Relations

In 1997, the United States imposed comprehensive economic, trade and financial sanctions against Sudan due to its support for international terrorism, ongoing efforts to destabilize neighboring governments and the prevalence of human rights violations. In 2007, the United States imposed new economic sanctions on Sudan in response to the government’s continued complicity in violence occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. The sanctions block assets of Sudanese citizens implicated in Darfur violence and sanction additional companies owned or controlled by the Government of Sudan. Sanctions underscore the U.S. commitment to ending the suffering of the millions of Sudanese affected by the crisis in Darfur.

The United States and Sudan have a small amount of bilateral trade. Sudan is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, which has a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States.

Sudan's Membership in International Organizations

Sudan and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Sudan also is an observer to the World Trade Organization.

Bilateral Representation

There currently is no U.S. Ambassador to Sudan; the U.S. Charge d'Affaires a.i. is Jerry P. Lanier. Other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List. In 2013, Donald Booth was appointed U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.

Sudan maintains an embassy in the United States at 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel: (202) 338-8565.

More information about Sudan is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

Department of State Sudan Country Page Department of State Key Officers List CIA World Factbook Sudan Page U.S. Embassy: Sudan USAID Sudan Page History of U.S. Relations With Sudan Human Rights Reports International Religious Freedom Reports Trafficking in Persons Reports Narcotics Control Reports Investment Climate Statements Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Countries Page U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Page Library of Congress Country Studies Travel and Business Information