US says no normalisation with Sudan before November elections

June 30, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The top U.S. official on Africa, Jendayi Frazer, said it was unlikely that talks about normalising relations with the United States would resume before the U.S. elections in November.

“We were very clear from the outset … normalisation depends on results on the ground and clearly things have not improved in Darfur and things have deteriorated in Abyei,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the summit.

Among the terms of Sudan’s 2005 north-south was a distribution of power and of the wealth stemming from Sudan’s oil output of 500,000 barrels per day.

But at least 89 people died in May in clashes between northern and southern forces in Abyei, close to major oilfields coveted by both sides.

“At this point it doesn’t look favourable because they haven’t implemented those agreements,” Reuters reported.

Sudan has appeared optimistic on normalizing ties with the US within a short period of time.

The Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor told reporters after meeting with Williamson last February that he expects to normalize relations within 4-6 months.

The United States imposed comprehensive economic sanctions on Sudan in 1997 and included it on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The sanctions have been stiffened subsequently particular in May 2007 when US president Bush issued an executive order barring 31 companies controlled by Sudan from doing business in the U.S. financial system.

(ST)