sábado, 23 de outubro de 2010

Sudan parties must address obstacles in new talks, U.S. says


Washington (CNN) -- Sudan parties must be ready to compromise in a new round of talks as the country's north and south regions prepare for a vote that could see them split into two, U.S. officials say.
"With just 79 days remaining until January 9th ... there is just no more time to waste," said Scott Gration, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan.
Next week's talks in Ethiopia will address remaining obstacles in the January 9th referendum, including the status of the disputed oil-rich Abyei district on the border of the north and the south.
The talks will include an African Union delegation led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Earlier discussions between the two sides this month failed to bring compromise on key issues.
"With time running out, the parties must make a strategic commitment to work together to avoid war, to achieve a lasting peace," Gration said in Washington on Friday. "The parties must be prepared to come to Addis with an attitude of compromise to reach a final agreement on these remaining tough issues. The entire world is watching and will make judgments based on how the parties approach these talks, on how they act in the next couple months".
Washington has called Sudan's referendum process a "ticking time bomb," and offered the African nation incentives, including possible easing of economic sanctions.
The January vote would allow the autonomous southern region -- which holds a majority of the nation's oil -- to secede from the north.
CNN