The United States deeply regrets the Royal Government of Cambodia’s decision to prohibit leading figures from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) from participating in the July 2018, national elections. This decision prevents millions of Cambodian voters from exercising their democratic right to vote for candidates of their choice and calls into question the integrity of the electoral process. We urge the Cambodian government to reinstate CNRP candidates immediately.

In addition, in keeping with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s recent conclusion that CNRP leader Kem Sokha’s imprisonment is arbitrary, we renew our call for his immediate release.

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During the official working visit to the United States of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, South and Central Asian Affairs Senior Bureau Official Alice Wells and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov signed two agreements today between the governments of the United States and Uzbekistan. The first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recognizes the launch of a program based in Uzbekistan that will support partnerships between U.S. universities and higher education institutions across Central Asia over the next three years. The second MOU expands funding for English language programs across Uzbekistan to include instruction for university students, journalists, and professionals; capacity building programs for Uzbek English teaching professionals, and online learning opportunities for both teachers and students.

These agreements mark the beginning of a new era of U.S.-Uzbekistan cooperation in the field of education, and are symbols of the broad and deepening partnership between our nations.

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The United States welcomes the release from prison and the full pardon of Malaysian political leader Anwar Ibrahim. His conviction and detention raised serious concerns about the rule of law in Malaysia.

We are glad that he has been reunited with his family.

We look forward to working with the new government in Malaysia to further strengthen the U.S.-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:‎

Secretary Mike Pompeo spoke by phone today with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Secretary Pompeo thanked Foreign Minister Balakrishnan for Singapore’s willingness to host President Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12. The leaders affirmed the strong U.S.-Singapore Strategic Partnership, including our close economic, political, and security cooperation, as well as our robust people-to-people ties. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also explored avenues for further collaboration during Singapore’s current Chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Secretary underscored U.S. concerns about the militarization of outposts in the South China Sea and the need for China and other claimants to refrain from actions that will escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.

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The Department of State has designated ISIS in the Greater Sahara — also known as ISIS-GS — as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Department has also designated ISIS-GS and its leader, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.

As a result of these designations, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with ISIS-GS or al-Sahrawi. Their property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to the organization.

ISIS-GS emerged when Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi and his followers split from Al-Mourabitoun, an al-Qa’ida splinter group and U.S.-designated FTO and SDGT. Al-Sahrawi first pledged allegiance to ISIS in May 2015, and in October 2016, ISIS acknowledged it received a pledge of allegiance from the group under al-Sahrawi. ISIS-GS is primarily based in Mali operating along the Mali-Niger border and has claimed responsibility for several attacks under al-Sahrawi’s leadership, including the October 4, 2017 attack on a joint U.S.-Nigerien patrol in the region of Tongo Tongo, Niger, which killed four U.S. soldiers and five Nigerien soldiers.

Today’s designations notify the U.S. public and the international community that this group is a terrorist organization and this individual has committed or poses a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism. Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments.

These designations are part of a larger comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS that, in coordination with the Global Coalition, has made significant progress toward this goal. This whole-of-government effort is destroying ISIS in its safe havens, denying its ability to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, stifling its financial resources, countering the false propaganda it disseminates over the internet and social media, and helping to stabilize liberated areas in Iraq and Syria so the displaced can return to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives.

A list of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/index.htm.

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