ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Mahboub Maalim, has hailed the lifting of trade and economic sanctions that the United States had weighed on the Republic of Sudan the last couple of decades.
"It is to be noted that the sanctions imposed by the United States to Sudan have caused much hindrance to the economic, political and diplomatic functions of this great country," the east African bloc said in a statement sent to Xinhua on Tuesday.
"On his own behalf and that of IGAD, Amb Mahboub congratulated the government and people of Sudan for their perseverance, optimism and diplomatic skills, despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges that they faced during those tough long years of sanctions," the statement added.
"I also commend the United States for a wise decision that will positively impact, not only the economy of the Republic of Sudan, but also of its neighboring countries and of the IGAD region as a whole," the statement indicated Maalim as saying.
Maalim further called upon the U.S. government to consider removing Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism.
The Ethiopian government on Monday also welcomed the news that the U.S. government has lifted the economic sanctions that were imposed on Ethiopia's neighboring country Sudan. The two countries are members of the regional bloc IGAD.
