Ambassador Princeton Lyman, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, met Friday with representatives of the diplomatic corps at the U.S. Department of State in Washington to rally international support for peace between Sudan’s north and south. The Special Envoy called on all members of the international community to join the United States in making clear to the Sudanese that they cannot miss this historic opportunity to start a new chapter in Sudan’s history – one marked by peace, prosperity, and closer ties to the international community. He asked the international community to unite in encouraging the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to resolve the outstanding issues between them and lay the foundation for two viable states at peace with one another.
Only eight days remain until Southern Sudan transitions to independence, and many key issues pertaining to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement remain unresolved. Special Envoy Lyman urged regional leaders to encourage the parties to reach agreement on resource sharing, citizenship, and other matters that will define the future relationship between Sudan and South Sudan. He welcomed progress toward resolving the immediate crisis in Abyei, but he emphasized that fighting is still ongoing in Southern Kordofan, and a cessation of hostilities agreement is urgently needed. He stressed that the Government of Sudan must facilitate unfettered freedom of movement for UN peacekeepers and ensure humanitarian agencies are able to access displaced populations.
The United States has been deeply engaged in Sudan, having helped to broker the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended decades of civil war between the country’s north and south. U.S. diplomatic and development efforts supported the conduct of a peaceful, on-time referendum on independence for Southern Sudan in January 2011. In the years ahead, the United States will remain a steadfast partner of the Sudanese people. The United States supports international efforts to promote full and timely implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, to reach a definitive end to the conflict in Darfur, and to ensure that Sudan does not provide a safe haven for international terrorists.
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