President Trump signed a bill on Monday that will grant Sudan immunity from future lawsuits by the victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in East Africa and provide Sudan with nearly $ 1 billion in U.S. financial aid and loans. But the bill does not give Sudan immunity from lawsuits by families of 9/11 victims.
Why it matters: The legal aspect was a critical part of the Trump administration-Sudan deal, which included the removal of the country from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the normalization of Sudan’s relations with Israel.
- This process can be continued with the signing of the bill.
The big picture: In recent weeks in Washington, DC, there have been intense diplomatic and political negotiations over the bill.
- The Sudanese government demanded full legal immunity, but a group of Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) and Senator Robert Menendez (NJ) refused to grant Sudan immunity from future lawsuits by 9/11 victims.
- Sudanese officials had threatened that the normalization process with Israel could be jeopardized if the bill was not passed and they were not given immunity.
- Israel lobbied Democratic and Republican senators to grant Sudan immunity from future lawsuits. But the differences persisted until recently.
Between the lines: A US official told me that the White House has reached a compromise in recent days: Sudan would receive legal immunity from all future lawsuits, except for 9/11 victims.
- Sudan will be compensated for that by getting $ 700 million in direct US financial aid and more than $ 200 million in loans.
- The victims of the 1998 terrorist attack on the embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which killed more than 200 people, will receive $ 150 million in damages from the U.S. government and an additional $ 335 million from Sudan in exchange for dropping all lawsuits .
For the record: US officials said the Sudanese government, Democratic senators, and the families of the victims of the 1998 and September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks all agreed with the compromise.
- The agreement was incorporated into the Omnibus law passed in Congress and signed by Trump on Monday.
What’s next: The immunity agreement now gives the Sudanese government access to foreign aid and investment without fear of sanctions and lawsuits.
- It will also enable the country to continue the normalization process with Israel.
Flashback: Secret contacts between Israel and Sudan made the deal possible through Trump