This afternoon Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, Chairperson of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel on Sudan, and Haile Menkerios, the United Nations Special Representative for the Secretary General to Sudan, to discuss the current status of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), including preparations for the Southern Sudan and Abyei referenda in January 2011, and the status of discussions between the CPA parties on key post-CPA issues. They also discussed conditions in Darfur.
Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the full implementation of the CPA, including conducting the referenda on time, in an environment conducive to a credible and peaceful vote, and with outcomes that are respected by the international community. The Secretary also emphasized the need for immediate and serious discussions about post-CPA arrangements on resource management, security, citizenship and other issues. The Secretary welcomed AU/UN efforts to support North-South discussions on post-CPA issues in cooperation with other international partners. She underscored the urgency for the UN and the AU to move as rapidly as possible to support mechanisms for conducting the January referenda in Abyei and in southern Sudan. The Secretary also expressed U.S. support for the AU/UN-led Darfur mediation in Doha and noted that despite the progress in negotiations in Doha, the conditions on the ground remain deplorable. Finally, the Secretary called on all parties to intensify their efforts to find a solution to the problems in the region.
The United States urged that the African Union and its member states, the United Nations, Sudan’s neighbors, and partners around the world speak with one voice at this critical time in Sudan’s history. The United States will remain engaged at the highest levels to support peace and stability in Sudan through the full implementation of the CPA and a negotiated political solution to the Darfur conflict.
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