Gov't appeals to US to normalise relations

Sudan's representative in Washington has appealed to the US to normalise relations, lift sanctions and invest in the country. The Sudanese ambassador to the US, Khidr Harun Ahmad, said on Monday that Sudan was "on the brink of peace" and that "with peace and the lifting of US sanctions, Sudan will be a good place for American companies to invest". "American companies know Sudan's mineral and hydrocarbon riches better than anyone, and that their capital and technological know-how are much needed to develop this country," he continued. He added that Sudan had "vast agricultural potential", which had only been partly exploited and could be harnessed to avoid hunger in the entire region. Sudan was also a major sugar producer and the world's leading source of gum arabic, an essential component in the manufacture of soft drinks and other food products, and of which the US was the world's largest importer, he added. The US has renewed sanctions against Sudan annually since 1997. While Sudanese officials continuously make public announcements about the lifting of sanctions, US officials say a normalisation of bilateral relations is dependent on Khartoum improving its "very poor" human rights record, and continuing to cooperate in the war against terrorism. Khartoum's record in the western region of Darfur, where it is said to be supporting Arab militias against its opponents, has been singled out for particular criticism in the US and elsewhere. "We have made it clear that the situation in Darfur would slow the process of normalisation of relations," said Charles Snyder, the US acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, on 11 March. "I believe Khartoum understands clearly that observing basic rights and freedoms and an end to the conflict in Darfur will significantly improve prospects for our relations," he said, while addressing a subcommittee of the House of Representatives International Relations Committee. Snyder said the US had rejected the "claim" that while the Sudanese government had originally supported the Janjawid militias in Darfur - who are said to be responsible for killing, raping and displacing hundreds of thousands of people - they were now out of its control. "These militias are proxies for the government and Khartoum bears responsibility for their conduct, whether they say they have control or not," he said. Roger Winter, the USAID assistant director, has accused the government of a "scorched-earth policy" to crush rebellion in Darfur through large-scale abuses against civilians and the obstruction of humanitarian access to the region. The US, the UN and others are pushing Khartoum to negotiate a "humanitarian ceasefire" with Darfur's two rebel groups and to protect its civilians from attacks. Snyder said achieving peace in Sudan was one of the Bush administration's "highest priorities" in Africa. But as the Darfur conflict escalates with no peace talks in sight, separate talks between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army, which were scheduled to end on 16 March, have become deadlocked over the status of three areas in central Sudan - the Nuba mountains, southern Blue Nile and in particular oil-rich Abyei. The chief mediator, Lazarus Sumbeiywo, said on Tuesday that the negotiations had been extended. Snyder told congress it had "underscored to both sides the need to conclude the negotiations on an urgent basis". If the parties did not reach agreement it could become necessary for the US - as a last resort - in concert with the mediators and other observers, to table ideas on ways of breaking the impasse, he warned. "In short, the parties know that the time for agreement is now, or the peace process could well unravel," he said. Once the status of the three areas has been decided, less contentious power-sharing arrangements, international guarantees and modalities to implement the accord have to be thrashed out, before the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement.