SUDAN: IMPLEMENTATION OF BOYCOTT STATUTE RESPONSE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001105

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, EB, AND L
COMMERCE FOR BIS/OAC
DEPARTMENT PASS USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PIRF KBCT ABLD ETRD AL SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN: IMPLEMENTATION OF BOYCOTT STATUTE RESPONSE

REF: STATE 66895


1. Per reftel, Sudan does not require any firms to comply
with Arab League or Organization of the Islamic Conference
boycotts of Israel. Sudanese and foreign firms are not
required to complete boycott compliance questionnaires or
furnish boycott-clearance certificates as a prerequisite for
licensing, trademark or company registration, bidding on
contracts, or as part of a contract.


2. Sudan does not as a matter of policy, practice, or
contract requests require U.S. firms to comply with boycott
requirements or provide information regarding such compliance.


3. Suppliers, vendors, and service providers with which Post
does business are not known to comply with boycott
requirements.


4. Sudan does have a law mandating a primary and secondary
boycott of Israel. The Israel Boycott Act of 1958 prohibits
contracting with Israeli nationals or residents, or dealing
with any company, Sudanese or foreign, that has an interest
in Israel. It also prohibits the import of Israeli-produced
goods in any quantity or proportion, as detailed on a
certificate of origin; it also bans the export or transit of
goods to Israel. Violations of the law may be punished with
ten years in prison or a fine not exceeding five thousand
Sudanese pounds.


5. Sudanese passports are routinely endorsed "valid for all
countries except Israel," and Sudan normally denies visas to
foreign travelers with Israeli visas in their passports.
However, this does not seem to be required by the Israel
Boycott Act of 1958, and the legal basis for these policies
remains unclear.


6. The Ministry of Foreign Trade is in charge of boycott
enforcement, but it does not have a separate unit to handle
boycott issues. The Ministry's Multilateral Trading
Department does have contacts with Syria's Arab League
Boycott Office, which provides the Ministry with updated
information on the boycott.


7. Mr. Abdel Aziz M. Ahmed, Head of the Ministry's
Multilateral Trading Department, told Post that he regards
the boycott as "ineffective," because most Arab countries now
have business connections with Israel. Post is not aware of
any Government of Sudan actions to enforce the boycott,
though Mr. Ahmed did note that Sudan is one of three Arab
countries that have no direct or indirect business ties to
Israel, along with Syria and Yemen.


8. Post will forward a copy of the Israel Boycott Act, 1958
to EB/L separately.
HUME