Sudan’s first vice president to visit United States by end of October

Oct 27, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese First Vice-President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, will visit the USA at the end of the current month, during which he will meet officials of both the US Administration and Congress.

The vice-president of the government of southern Sudan, Riek Machar, told Al-Sahafa newspaper that Kiir intends to visit the USA either on Sunday 30 October or Monday 31 October.

It will be Kiir’s first visit to the USA since assuming the position of the First Vice-President of Sudan. Machar said the exact date for Kiir departure will be set after his return from Juba, capital of Southern Sudan.

Machar said Kiir intends to hold talks with the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice and U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs Jendayi Frazer, in addition to Congress and White House officials.

The US-Sudanese talks will touch on all issues. It will also tackle reconstruction and developing the areas affected by war saying that the US is considered to be the biggest provide of assistance to Sudan.

Last week, Jendayi Frazer told reporters in Khartoum that Sudanese president al-Beshir called for an end to the sanctions regime, while the U.S. envoy said the Bush administration would consider lifting the embargo, “especially economic sanctions.”

In October 1997, the U.S. imposed comprehensive economic, trade and financial sanctions against Sudan in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses.

Relations have warmed between Washington and Khartoum since the January signing of a peace deal to end the 21-year southern civil war and Sudan’s improved cooperation in the war on terror. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Sudanese officials here in July, during which they reiterated calls for the sanctions to be lifted.

(ST)