The United States Government has insisted that Abdel-Ra’uf Abuzaid should be held accountable for the 2008 killing of her officials, John Granville and Abdel Rahman Abbas in Sudan.
During the Press Briefing on Thursday, State Department Spokesman, Ned Price who made this known, said the United States strongly condemned the unilateral January 30th Abuzaid’s release by Sudanese authorities.
Recall that Abdel-Ra’uf Abuzaid, is among the individual convicted by Sudanese court, of killing United States Agency of International Development (USAID) Personnel, John Granville and Abdel Rahman Abbas in 2008.
United States said the Sudanese claim that the Granville family had extended forgiveness is false, while calling on the Sudanese Government to exercise all available legal means to reverse this decision and to re-arrest Abuzaid.
According to the Spokesman, “the 2020 U.S.-Sudan bilateral settlement of legal claims did not address Abuzaid’s imprisonment or his sentence.
“We heard the heartfelt statement by John Granville’s mother, and we reaffirm our condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific targeted terrorist attack
“And will continue to urge that Abuzaid be held fully accountable for the murder of John Granville and Abdel Rahman Abbas. The safety of U.S. citizens and embassy personnel abroad remains the highest priority of this administration”, he said.
Price noted that United States convoked the Sudanese ambassador to the United States. “In addition, our ambassador in Sudan, John Godfrey, is engaging Sudanese officials at the highest levels on this issue.
“And Deputy Assistant Secretary Peter Lord is heading next week to Khartoum, where he will also take up this critical issue to demand action. We will not relent, State Department Spokesman added.
In 2010, four men, convicted in the murder of the US diplomat and his driver, reportedly managed to escape from prison in the Sudanese capital by digging tunnel through the kitchen floors after sunset prayers.
The four inmates dug between 0.5 and 1 meter daily using plumbing pipes, according to the department. Abuzaid who is among them was later captured by Sudanese officials, as second convict, Mohannad Osman Youssef, was killed in Somalia.