On Wednesday, the United States expressed concern about the release by Sudan of a man who had been given the death penalty for the murder of a diplomat named John Granville and denied any understanding between the two nations.
“We are deeply troubled by the lack of transparency in the legal process that resulted in the release of the only individual remaining in custody,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Abdelraouf AbuZaid, who was convicted in connection with the murder, was released by Sudanese authorities on Monday. According to his attorney, the court’s decision was in keeping with Sudan’s 2020 payment to Washington for prior terrorism.
Price stated that the US was looking for clarification regarding Abu Zaid’s release and was providing a $5 million reward for information resulting in the capture or conviction of two further suspects in the 2008 killings.
He denied the claim that the United States had approved the release as a condition of the 2020 agreement, which had Sudan removed on a list of states that support terrorism that dates back to Omar al-rule. Bashir’s
The impoverished Sudan paid $335 million to American survivors and the families of individuals slain in previous attacks as part of the agreement mediated by the then-PM Abdalla Hamdok.
Hamdok, a civilian in charge of a transitional administration, sought to reintegrate Sudan into the international community. However, he was overthrown by the military the next year, which harmed relations with the United States, which put a freeze on $700 million in aid.