US reportedly accuses Sudan of lack of seriousness concerning peace talks
Al-Sahafah Daily Newspaper on August 28, 2003
A team of US experts has spoken of rising of US administration’s concern, at the level of the President Bush, regarding the current peace talks between the government and the people’s movement [rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement]. It also rejected claims of being biased towards one party against the other. They said realization of a peace agreement would lead to the establishment of the biggest US embassy in the region in Khartoum. However, they accused the government of lack of seriousness concerning realization of a peace agreement.
In an interview with Al-Sahafah, A team from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington currently visiting Sudan led by the first advisor of the centre, Eric Burton, to explore the views of Sudanese political forces on various political trends of the Sudanese peace process. The team said prevailing opinion among members of the US Congress and the US administration indicate that that the Sudanese government is not serious concerning reaching a peace agreement through the ongoing negotiations.
The head of the team, Burton, said if the government was serious on arriving at a peace agreement it could do so now, especially because the peace talks have reached their seventh round without any achievements. He further said, “an opinion has started being formed within the USA that neither this round of peace talks nor any other in future will decisively solve the problem if the government does not show its seriousness.
The members of the team rejected accusations labelled against the US that it has other objectives concerning the Sudanese problems, saying the USA had thrown all its weight on the peace process on purely humanitarian grounds and that it was not a party in the peace talks and that it was striving to promote it. They said that realization of peace in Sudan was an objective in itself.
The members of the team view realization of peace in Sudan as a means of opening a new page in relations between Sudan and the USA, saying this would be of great benefit and positive results to the country.
The team said the US administration would like Khartoum to portray more seriousness towards solving the real causes of the war, since Washington views it as source for sprouting terrorism.
The team of experts also rejected accusations against Washington that it was striving to undermine the Sudanese government through the ongoing peace talks on pretext that Sudan was continuing to sponsor terrorism. They pointed out that the US administration facilitates and provides valuable help to the Sudanese government in its war against terrorism especially following the 11 September incident [in USA].
The members of the team admitted that there existed an obstacle of lack of trust between Khartoum and Washington. However, the obstacle could be got rid off through more contacts, cooperation and transparency. The delegation said as soon as a peace agreement is reached, it would intensify its diplomatic presence in Khartoum and establish the biggest embassy in Khartoum in the whole region.