US sanction to be lifted if Sudan cooperates on Darfur force – report
September 1, 2007 (WASHINGTON) – The United States would lift economic sanctions if Sudan cooperates in the deployment of international peacekeeping force in Darfur, Washington informed a visiting official.
The Hybrid Operation of some 26,000 United Nations and African Union troops was approved by the U.N. Security Council at the end of July. The deployment of the troops should start at mid October and ends in the beginning of the next year.
However some analysts say it is highly unlikely that US adminstration would lift economic sanctions on Sudan anytime soon.
The report also said that Washington intends to release two of the nine Sudanese detained in Guantanamo camp, but television cameraman Sami al-Haj will not be among them.
State minister for the foreign affairs, Al-Samani Al-Wasila said he held very important talks with Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte; Andrew Natsios, the American envoy to Sudan; and Jendayi Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs.”
The minister described his visit to the United States of America and his talks there as frank, fruitful and positive and characterized by transparency and will have excellent effects on the relations between the two countries.
He said that a senior US official would visit Sudan in the coming period to continue the dialogue between the two countries which has started during his current visit to Washington.
Al-Wasila told the official SUNA that there would be another meeting with the American administration during the meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York in current September.
(ST)