Sudan dismisses U.S. package of incentives & sanctions

September 15, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The Sudanese government today rejected the announcement by the U.S. that it will unwind some of the sanctions imposed in return for a smooth completion of the referendum process that will take place early next year in the South of the country.

Should Sudan comply with U.S. conditions, sanctions will be gradually lifted up to a potential full normalization of ties and removal from the list of states that sponsor terrorism.

The United States placed Sudan on its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 and imposed economic trade and financial sanctions in 1997, which were later supplemented by a United Nations arms embargo.

But officials at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) dismissed the offer put forward by Washington.

The presidential adviser Ghazi Salah al-Deen Al-Attabani Adviser said that the package is “unacceptable” but said his government is willing to look into a constructive plan to normalize ties and contribute positively to resolving the Darfur crisis.

“For issues to be presented as a preface to impose sanctions or incentives, as is said, this technique is rejected,” Al-Attabani said.

“We reject charity from anyone and whatever is our right we should we take and whatever is the right of others they should take,” he added.

Rabie Abdel-Aati who is the NCP information official said he is puzzled by the U.S. plan.

“Really this is threatening and giving a warning to the Sudanese government without any reason,” Abdel-Aati told Reuters.

“If somebody is saying they will do what’s agreed upon there’s no need to say to him I am warning you,” he added.

He further suggested that the U.S. policy is unclear and marred by divisions within the administration.

“We feel that some institutions in the USA don’t have the same view and the same trend towards Sudan,” Abdel-Aati said. “That is why up to now for us the stance of the U.S. administration is not clear.”

He said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed a tougher line than others including Gration.

“This shows a conflict in the centre of decision making in the USA especially about Sudan — we don’t receive one message with one colour,” Abdel-Aati said.

Mandoor Al-Mahdi, another senior NCP official, said that Washington had no hegemony on Sudan stressing that his country is a sovereign one, and that Khartoum has already adapted itself to the American sanctions.

Al-Mahdi said that if Washington was keen on Sudan’s stability, it would have honoured the pledges it had made when the North-South peace agreement was signed regarding the sanctions.

He charged that the U.S. is a key factor of instability in the Sudan.

The U.S. as well as many regional and international partners are growing increasingly concerned that preparations for the referendum are lagging severely behind the original schedule stipulated by the 2005 peace accord between the North and South.

The referendum commission was formed in late June and its activities were stalled until last month because of NCP-SPLM quarrel over the post of the body’s Secretary general. It was announced that registration of Southern voters inside Sudan and abroad will commence in October.

Furthermore, the two parties are still negotiating on a number of contentious post-referendum arrangements particularly border demarcation, citizenship, oil, national debt and international agreements. The NCP had said that no referendum shall take place with securing a deal on the borders but the SPLM rejected any suggestion of delaying the plebiscite.

Another referendum is also supposed to be held at the same time in the disputed oil-producing Abyei region on whether it should join the north or south. However, a deadlock over the composition of that referendum’s electoral commission means it is unlikely to happen on time, if at all.

As part of the intensified US engagement, president Barack Obama will attend a U.N. summit on Sudan next Friday along with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and other high level delegations including South Sudan president Salva Kiir and Sudan’s 2nd Vice President Salva Kiir.

The Washington Post said that U.S. officials have been urging senior representatives of other countries to attend, to show unified support for the peace plan.

Furthermore, the newspaper said that in preparation for the meeting, the Obama administration has been holding daily inter-agency meetings for the past two weeks.

Obama’s special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration told reporters that Obama’s attendance at the U.N. meeting “will elevate Sudan on the world stage and make the international community pay a little bit more attention to what is happening.”

“We are sending a very clear message to Khartoum, the Sudanese government and the international community that we are paying attention and we are going to roll up our sleeves and do everything we can to make sure this referendum goes off without a hitch,” Obama told Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday.

(ST)