US President to meet Southern Sudan leader on Thursday
November 13, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — US President George W. Bush will meet with South Sudan leader, Salva Kiir, on Thursday November 15 for talks focused on the shaky peace implementation and ways to end violence in Darfur, the White House said Tuesday.
“The two leaders will discuss implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the situation in Darfur, and the status of ongoing peace talks to end the violence there.” said a press statement issued by the White House.
Salva Kiir who visits the United States since one week delayed his return to Sudan to discuss a series of proposals suggested by the US Administration related to surmount the current impasse on the issue of Abyei.
Kiir, who is first vice president of the republic, suspended the participation of his party in the government of national unity to protest against the current stalemate with regard to Abyei, border demarcation and redeployment of troops to 1956 border.
He said in Washington last week that his former rebels would stay out of the national government in Khartoum until a 2005 peace deal is fully implemented.
He said that the CPA was staggering “like a drunken person” but remained on the table.
Sudan’s north-south civil war — Africa’s longest — claimed 2 million lives and drove more than 4 million from their homes. Between Khartoum’s Islamist government and mostly Christian and animist southern rebels, it was complicated by religion, ideology and oil.
(ST)