U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Thursday extended a national emergency on Sudan which was first declared in 1997, saying that ‘the military takeover of the government and arrest of civilian leaders’ last Monday threaten positive gains made by Sudan in its transition toward democracy since 2019.
“The crisis that led to the declaration of a national emergency in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997; the expansion of that emergency in Executive Order 13400 of April 26, 2006; and the taking of additional steps with respect to that emergency in Executive Order 13412 of October 13, 2006, Executive Order 13761 of January 13, 2017, and Executive Order 13804 of July 11, 2017, has not been resolved,” President Biden wrote.
“The situation in Darfur continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, as expanded by Executive Order 13400, must continue in effect beyond November 3, 2021,” Biden added.
The notice will be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
| CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SUDAN |
| On November 3, 1997, by Executive Order 13067, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Sudan pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), and took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan. On April 26, 2006, by Executive Order 13400, the President determined that the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region posed an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, and ordered the blocking of property of certain persons connected to the Darfur region. On October 13, 2006, by Executive Order 13412, the President took additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067 and expanded in Executive Order 13400. In Executive Order 13412, the President also took steps to implement the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-344). On January 13, 2017, by Executive Order 13761, the President found that positive efforts by the Government of Sudan between July 2016 and January 2017 improved certain conditions that Executive Orders 13067 and 13412 were intended to address. Given these developments, and in order to encourage the Government of Sudan to sustain and enhance these efforts, section 1 of Executive Order 13761 provided that sections 1 and 2 of Executive Order 13067 and the entirety of Executive Order 13412 would be revoked as of July 12, 2017, provided that the criteria in section 12(b) of Executive Order 13761 had been met. On July 11, 2017, by Executive Order 13804, the President amended Executive Order 13761, extending until October 12, 2017, the effective date in section 1 of Executive Order 13761. On October 12, 2017, pursuant to Executive Order 13761, as amended by Executive Order 13804, sections 1 and 2 of Executive Order 13067 and the entirety of Executive Order 13412 were revoked. Sudan made strides in its transition toward democracy since 2019, but the military takeover of the government and arrest of civilian leaders now threaten those positive gains. The crisis that led to the declaration of a national emergency in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997; the expansion of that emergency in Executive Order 13400 of April 26, 2006; and the taking of additional steps with respect to that emergency in Executive Order 13412 of October 13, 2006, Executive Order 13761 of January 13, 2017, and Executive Order 13804 of July 11, 2017, has not been resolved. The situation in Darfur continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, as expanded by Executive Order 13400, must continue in effect beyond November 3, 2021. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. THE WHITE HOUSE, October 28, 2021. |
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.