(JNS) U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will remove Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, paving the way for the African nation to normalize ties with Israel.

Sudan cannot receive foreign aid until it is removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, which it has been on since 1993 for allegedly granting refuge and assistance to the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists.

The Sudanese military overthrew the 10-year dictatorship of former leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. A mixed military-civilian government currently rules the country until possible elections in 2022.

Sudan, an Arab-Muslim-majority country that borders Egypt to the south, has long been viewed as a hostile nation toward the Jewish state. However, the new government, keen on reforming the economy and expanding international investment, sees friendlier ties with Israel as a step in improving relations with the United States.