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August 29, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday phoned his Sudanese counterpart Ali Kart to inform him officially of President Barack Obama’s decision to appoint Ambassador Donald Booth as his special envoy for north and south Sudan.

Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Yesterday, the White House made the announcement on Booth’s pick while stressing that “supporting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan remains a priority” for his administration.

It noted Booth’s experience with African affairs given his tenures in Ethiopia, Liberia and Zambia.

According to Sudan official news agency (SUNA), Kerry told Karti that the new envoy will be tasked mainly with helping resolve outstanding issues between north and south Sudan as well as improving bilateral relations between Washington and Khartoum.

The Sudanese top diplomat on his end expressed hope that Booth will focus on steps to normalize ties that would eventually result in fulfilling previous pledges by the Obama administration of removing Sudan’s name from the list of states that sponsor terrorism and lifting economic sanctions.

Prior to South Sudan’s referendum on statehood in early 2011, Washington promised Khartoum to delist Sudan from terrorism-sponsoring states if it facilitates the vote and let it be conducted peacefully.

South Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating their own state and Sudan was the first country to swiftly to recognize their new neighbor.

But conflicts that emerged later in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile prompted the US to shy away from its earlier promises much to the frustration of Sudanese officials.

In 1993 Sudan was placed in the US terrorism list on allegations of harboring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets. Despite close cooperation on counterterrorism issues over the last decade which Washington repeatedly acknowledged, Khartoum remained on this blacklist.

Sudan is also subject to comprehensive economic sanctions since 1997 over terrorism charges and human right abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.

Neither the White House nor Kerry made any reference to the prospects of lifting sanctions on Sudan in their statements regarding Booth’s appointment.

Kerry in particular appeared to stress the longstanding dispute between Khartoum and Juba over post-secession issues.

“None of those brave people [in South Sudan] voted to create a failed state or to return to the violence that has plagued their home for too long. If both states put their people first by governing inclusively and democratically, protecting human rights, and creating economic opportunity, they can make progress on realizing the future their people deserve. This is a decisive period” Kerry said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“Khartoum and Juba can choose the path of peace and prosperity, or they can go backwards,” his statement read in part.

“This cause is personal to me, and I know it is deeply personal to President Obama and my colleague Susan Rice. I’ve seen firsthand how invested the President and his Administration have been in the work to help move the region forwards. When I was a Senator, I had the privilege of supporting the diplomatic effort that led to South Sudan’s independence, and on the ground leading up to the historic referendum I witnessed the long lines of people voting for a better way of life,” he added.

Khartoum and Juba have long been at loggerheads over the accusations that he former is backing rebels in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile border states. Juba denies this charge.

Last June, Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir ordered closure of pipelines carrying oil from landlocked South Sudan over these allegations. South Sudan has just started pumping oil after a year of suspension following a dispute with Sudan over transit fees.

China and the African Union (AU) managed to convince Bashir to delay the decision till early September while they work on verifying claims of rebel support and getting the two sides to agree on borders security and demilitarized zone.

But talks appeared to have hit a snag with Khartoum accusing Juba of non-cooperation in the joint talks held so far.

Sudan has long held that conclusion of security arrangements must precede implementation of other deals signed last year such as ones related to citizenship and trade.

Another growing concern for the US in recent months is the growing insecurity in South Sudan and particularly the fighting in Jonglei state which has led to mass killings and report of abuses by government troops.

Adding to this is a political crisis within South Sudan’s ruling party that led to the sacking of VP Riek Machar and suspension of few other senior officials pending investigation into financial and political alleged wrongdoings.
(ST)