The United States plans to remove Sudan from a blacklist of nations failing to help its war on terrorism, in a sign Africa's largest nation has taken some steps to fight militants, US officials said on Tuesday.
But Sudan has not gone far enough to persuade the United States to remove it from a second list that bans US trade in arms with the country, because it has yet to show it has stopped sponsoring terrorism organisations, they added.
Acknowledging the apparent contradiction in keeping Sudan on only one blacklist, a State Department official said the move was a "symbolic" gesture to an oil-rich nation that is close to clinching a peace deal long sought by Washington.
"The determination not to include Sudan on the list of countries not co-operating fully with US antiterrorism efforts this year reflects the positive steps the government of Sudan has taken against terrorism," said another State Department official, who asked not to be named because the decision has not been announced.
"But we will continue to pursue our very serious concerns with Sudan in other areas (of terrorism)," he added, citing its support of anti-Israeli groups such as Hamas.
Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea and Syria remain on both US terror blacklists and also face sanctions.
Despite welcome peace moves to end a civil war with mainly Christian and animist rebels in the south, Sudan has also persistently disappointed the United States by preventing a US humanitarian team from visiting a separate conflict area.
In Darfur, government-backed militias are guilty of a scorched-earth campaign against rebels who took up arms, saying Khartoum neglected the poor western region, according to the United Nations.
SUDAN PEACE TALKS EXTENDED TO MAY 23: Talks aimed at ending 21 years of civil war in Sudan have been extended until May 23 to allow the government and southern rebels time to resolve two issues blocking a peace accord, mediators said in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Sudan First Vice President Ali Osman Taha and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) leader John Garang have agreed an outline solution to two key issues - power-sharing and the status of the disputed areas Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains.
But they have yet to fine-tune the details, mediators said.
"The two parties have asked that we give them until May 23 to finalise the outstanding issues," chief mediator Lazarus Sumbeiywo of the Kenya-hosted talks said.