US embassy in Sudan says human rights not peace process is priority

KHARTOUM, Dec 16, 2003 (dpa) — The United States embassy in Sudan stated Tuesday that the ongoing peace process between the Sudanese government and rebel movements cannot alone normalise relations with the U.S.

In an unprecedented statement, the embassy said Sudan’s human rights performance will be the top concern in determining the pace of hoped-for improvement in Sudan-U.S. relations.

Warring parties at the Sudanese talks being held in the Kenyan resort town of Naivasha, are reported to have scored advances in the peace process, which aims at ending 20 years of civil war between the Christian south and Moslem north.

The statement comes amid growing concern from independent Sudanese journalists and Western diplomats about what they say is the unfair continued suspension of Sudan’s two leading independent newspapers by the government.

The English Language Khartoum Monitor was alleged to have promoted slavery, worked against the peace process and plotted against the government while Al-Ayam, the Arabic language newspaper, was charged with causing insecurity to the state, charges both papers deny.

The embassy suggested that the government lift the ban imposed on the two papers because they were convicted of no wrongdoing and charged under dubious circumstances.

The government’s action against the newspapers puts into question the commitment it made to press freedom, the statement said.

On Saturday, Sudanese journalists called on newspapers to cease publication in protest against the ongoing government ban introduced two months after President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree that lifted bans on press and information institutions.