The Sudanese newspaper As-Sahafa on Tuesday reported Washington has set seven conditions for normalization of relations with Sudan. John Kerry, head of the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, delivered the conditions to Sudanese officials during his recent visit to the country, the paper added.
Among the conditions, the controversial South Sudan referendum must be peaceful, fair, on time, and upheld by Khartoum. US officials also demand the Sudanese government pursue the Abyei plebiscite in accordance with the relevant International Court of Arbitration decision.
The second condition stipulated by the Americans instructs both southern and northern Sudanese governments to settle all outstanding elements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) without violence.
According to the third condition, agreement on post-referendum natural resource and demarcation line arrangements should be reached.
"If South Sudan voted for independence, issues mentioned above will be resolved by July 2011 to help a peaceful independence for South Sudan to take place," the fourth condition states.
The fifth condition requires the "Sudanese government not to provoke military actions across borders."
Furthermore, "Sudanese government should work on rights protection as well as guaranteeing security of southerners who live in the north," the sixth condition stipulates.
The final condition, according to As-Sahafa, says the Sudanese government should press for settlement over the disputed territories of al-Nil al-Azraq and Kurdufan.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
