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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 U.S. in 1967 after the start of the Arab-Israeli War. Relations were re-established in 1972. In the 1990s, Sudan’s Islamist regime’s links with international terrorist organizations led to the country’s 1993 designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and the suspension of U.S. Embassy operations in 1996. The U.S. Embassy was re-opened in 2002. Sudan has provided concrete cooperation against international terrorism since the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes against the United States.
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 the management of oil resources 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. strategy in Sudan also seeks to achieve a definitive end to conflict and gross human rights abuses and to ensure that Sudan does not provide a safe haven for international terrorists.
U.S. Assistance to Sudan
Despite policy differences, the U.S. has been a major donor of humanitarian aid to the Sudan throughout the last quarter century. Sudan faces highly complex development challenges and an uncertain future. The U.S. seeks to enhance the viability and stability of Sudan, which is essential to the stability of South Sudan and the region as a whole. Conflict mitigation will be integral to U.S. efforts, as progress in this area is a chief U.S. foreign policy priority, particularly in Darfur and in Abyei, Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan. The United States supports democratic development in Sudan, as well as a transition from emergency assistance to development assistance where conditions and security allow. Access to many geographic areas of programming has been blocked due to regional insecurity and Government of Sudan-imposed travel restrictions.
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 Darfur. The sanctions blocked assets of Sudanese citizens implicated in Darfur violence, and also sanctioned 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 is Joseph D. Stafford. Other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List. In 2011, Dane Smith was appointed Senior Advisor for Darfur and Princeton N. Lyman 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 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
