European Economic Community (EEC) cooperation with Sudan—a member of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP)—ran under the aegis of the Lomé Convention. Following the 1989 Sudanese coup d'état and ensuing violation of human rights the European Community suspended development aid in March 1990. In absence of a legal framework for development, bar the humanitarian assistance funds provided via ECHO, relations were put on hold. In 1999, dialogue resumed.