Sudan Ordered to Pay Victims of 1998 Bombings on US Embassies

A US Supreme Court has ordered Sudan to pay 4.3 billion dollars (430 billion shillings) to all the victims and families affected by the 1998 suicide bombings on the US Embassies in Kenya’s Nairobi and Tanzania’s Dar e Salam.

The US Supreme court ruled that the Sudanese Government worked closely with the world’s most notorious terrorist group Al Qaeda and their leader Osama Bin Laden where they launched the attacks on the two US embassies.

Following the attacks, a total of 220 people lost their lives while thousands were left nursing serious wounds.

The victims and their families then sued Sudan for providing crucial assistance to Al Qaeda that made the terrorism mission successful. In 2011, the US Federal District Court in Washington led by Judge John D Bates found Sudan guilty of the charges.

“Sudan harbored and provided sanctuary to terrorists and their operational and logistical supply network,” Judge Bates wrote.

“Bin Laden and Al Qaeda received the support and protection of the Sudanese intelligence and military from foreign intelligence services and rival militants.”

Sudan provided bin Laden and Al Qaeda hundreds of Sudanese passports while the Sudanese intelligence service allowed Al Qaeda to travel over the Sudan-Kenya border without restriction, according to Judge Bates’ ruling.

Judge bates awarded the plaintiffs 10.2 billion dollars (1.02 trillion shillings) in damages, including roughly 4.3 billion dollars (430 billion shillings) in punitive damages.

However, the ruling that was passed on Monday, May 18, 2020, addressed only one class of plaintiffs that includes only United States nationals, members of the military, and government employees and contractors.

The ruling leaves out the second class of plaintiffs that include foreign- nationals (non-Americans) like Kenyans and Tanzanians and or private contractors who were affected by the bombings.