US receives $335M from Sudan for victims of terrorist attacks
Source: CNN
By Jennifer Hansler, CNN
Updated 11:17 AM ET, Wed March 31, 2021
Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday that the United States had received the $335 million settlement from Sudan that will be paid out to victims and families of individuals impacted by the 1998 bombings at the US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and the murder of a USAID employee in Khartoum.
"Achieving compensation for these victims has been a top priority for the Department of State. We hope this aids them in finding some resolution for the terrible tragedies that occurred," Blinken said.
The multi-million dollar settlement was a key component in lifting Sudan's decades-old state sponsor of terrorism designation, which came with a series of restrictions including a ban on defense exports and sales and restrictions on US foreign assistance.
The Trump administration removed that designation after the $335M was transferred to an escrow account and after Sudan announced it had agreed to normalize relations with Israel, both in October 2020.
The money was held in that escrow account until Sudan's sovereign immunities -- which prevent it from being sued in federal court -- were restored.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/31/politics/sudan-settlement-received/index.html
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