THE International Monetary Fund says U.S. government plans to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism would clear away one of the hurdles facing the heavily indebted African country as it seeks debt relief. "We are encouraged by the U.S. administration's formal indication to Congress of its intention to remove Sudan from (the list)," Carol Baker, the IMF's Sudan mission chief, said in a statement to Reuters. "The removal of Sudan from the (list)eliminates one of the hurdles toward possible HIPC debt relief." The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative was launched in 1996 by the IMF and…