Khartoum slams US for renewing sanctions on Sudan

The Sudan government on Wednesday condemned the US decision to renew sanctions on Sudan for another year.

"The decision of the US administration to renew the unilateral sanctions on Sudan comes at a time when Sudan continued its constructive efforts to achieve stability and security in the area and its regional surrounding," Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

The statement described the US sanctions as illegitimate, saying "those sanctions constitute a flagrant violation of the international law and peoples' right in achieving development, combating poverty and illiteracy, and eliminating diseases."

Last week, US President Barack Obama decided to renew the new round of sanctions on Sudan, where the decision has come into effect as of Tuesday.

The US has been imposing sanctions on Sudan since 1997 and putting it on list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Since then, Washington has been renewing its sanctions on Sudan due to the continuing war in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions besides a number of outstanding issues with South Sudan including the disputed oil-rich area of Abyei.