US says no early resumption of normalization talks with Sudan

June 23, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The US ruled out a quick resumption of dialogue with Sudan on normalizing ties that were suspended unexpectedly earlier this month.

The US charge d’Affaires to Sudan Alberto Fernandez was quoted by the official news agency (SUNA) as saying that “it is too early to talk about the next steps to continue the US-Sudan dialogue”.

“Of course we know that sooner or later we will see continuation of talks for the benefit of both sides” he added following a meeting with the Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Ismail.

Ismail expressed his country’s willingness to carry on the negotiations with Washington “whenever the US administration is read to considering they are the ones who stopped it”.

On June 3rd the US envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson announced suspension of talks with Khartoum after failing to bridge differences between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) over the oil rich region of Abyei.

The US envoy appearing frustrated told reporters that he was “sad and disappointed…. until north and south Sudan wanted peace there’s nothing the United States or others can do.”

“Right now our talks are suspended,” he added.

The US official provided did not provide an update on the progress of talks regarding Darfur which was believed to be the main focus of the negotiations, particularly the deployment of peacekeepers in the war ravaged region.

Last week the NCP and the SPLM managed to reach an agreement on the status of Abyei that would provide for international arbitration on the border demarcation.

However the US State Department did not issue any statement welcoming the agreement as it normally does on issues relating to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) it helped broker in 2005 ending two decades of war between North and South.

Fernandez said that the Abyei agreement is “positive” before saying that implementation “is more important”.

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)