U.S. VP Biden calls Sudan’s Taha to stress importance of referendum date
December 24, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden called Sudan’s 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha on Friday to discuss South Sudan referendum which is due in less than two weeks.
Southerners are set to vote in a referendum on January 9 on whether to remain united with the north or break away and form their own country.
The vote is a key plank of the CPA between the mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south that put an end to more than two decades of civil war.
“The Vice President underscored the United States’ commitment to an on-time referendum and emphasized the importance of Sudanese commitment to finding a negotiated path forward on critical outstanding Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and post-referendum issues”.
The press release said that both men “agreed that a positive relationship between Northern and Southern Sudan, regardless of the outcome of the referendum, is important for all the Sudanese people, regional stability, and the U.S.-Sudan relationship”.
Today’s call follows another one by U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday to South Sudan president and chairman of Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM) Salva Kiir. Obama urged Kiir to reach an agreement with the National Congress Party (NCP) on the outstanding issues of the CPA.
Last week it was revealed that Obama has written to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak and other leaders in the region stressing Washington’s desire to see a peaceful and successful voting process.
The NCP & SPLM have been discussing without success since July the key sticking points of future citizenship arrangements, the sharing out of natural resources — particularly oil — security and compliance with international accords, notably on water allocation from the Nile.
They have also yet to find common ground on the disputed oil district of Abyei which had supposed to be holding a simultaneous vote on its own future that has been delayed by disagreements over who should be eligible to vote and demarcating the region’s borders.
U.S. brokered talks held in Ethiopia last October dedicated to the Abyei issue have failed to break the stalemate.
(ST)