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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed Jul 06 2011 - 09:03:19 EDT
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/07/167612.htm North-South
Negotiations on Sudan
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 6, 2011
------------------------------
The United States is encouraged by the July 4 meeting between Sudanese
President Bashir and First Vice President Kiir at the Extraordinary Session
of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development on Sudan in Addis Ababa.
We welcome the commitment that Sudan’s leaders made to continue negotiations
on outstanding issues following South Sudan’s independence on July 9. We
urge the parties to set a firm deadline – no later than the end of July –
for the resolution of these issues. Leaving key issues unresolved risks
undermining the prospects for a positive and cooperative future relationship
between Sudan and South Sudan.
We also welcome the leadership of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in
convening the parties only five days before South Sudan's independence, and
appreciate the on-going work of the African Union High-Level Implementation
Panel in facilitating ongoing discussions between Sudanese leaders.
Recently the parties have made encouraging progress on interim arrangements
for Abyei and security arrangements for the border zone between the North
and South. Discussions on other areas, such as debt relief and currency,
have also advanced. While these agreements reflect significant achievements,
we remain concerned that several critical outstanding issues remain
unresolved, including questions relating to the oil sector and the final
status of Abyei.
The United States also calls on the parties to end the fighting in Southern
Kordofan, and to facilitate unfettered access for aid workers to deliver
humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians affected by the conflict. We
are concerned that President Bashir has raised objections to the political
and security framework agreement previously negotiated by the National
Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North. We urge the
Government of Sudan to work with the African Union High Level Implementation
Panel urgently to overcome any objections so the vitally important
discussions called for in that agreement can proceed.
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