Washington, Oct 23 (AP) President Donald Trump said Friday that he has informed Congress of his intent to formally remove Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for the African nation transferring $335 million into an escrow account for American terror victims and their families.

The move would open the door for the African country to get international loans and aid needed to revive its battered economy and rescue the country's transition to democracy.

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The announcement, less than two weeks before the US presidential election, also comes as the Trump administration works to get other Arab countries, such as Sudan, to join the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain's recent recognition of Israel.

Delisting Sudan from the list is a key incentive for the Sudanese government to normalize relations with Israel. Trump's announcement came after Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin traveled to Bahrain to cement the Gulf state's recognition of the Jewish state.

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Sudan has agreed to pay compensation for victims of terror attacks, including the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The attacks were conducted by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network while bin Laden was living in Sudan.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok thanked Trump for signing the executive order to remove Sudan from the terrorism list and said he hoped to conclude the process in a “timely manner.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)