Ismael: American- Sudanese contacts have not been suspended
Sudan-USA, Politics, 2/28/2002

The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael has expressed his conviction that the US will give up its decision to halt contacts with Sudan, stressing that contacts have not been suspended.

Ismael seemed optimistic that the crisis resulting from killing 17 civilians in Beya village in al-Wahda province last week will end.

He was quoted by the Sudanese daily al-Rai al- Am ( an independent daily) as saying that this crisis will be contained in the few coming days.

The US has suspended its talks with Khartoum following the attack, noting it will not resume it before a clarification will be issued by the Sudanese government on this matter. Ismael added that despite the American declaration to suspend the peace efforts in Sudan, contacts between the two capitals "have not been stopped," noting that intensive "efforts have been made to settle the crisis."

He continued that the " military and diplomatic establishments in Sudan are working in full coordination at the directives of the Presidency in order to preserve the country's gains in order to give peace and reconciliation forward." The same paper said on Monday the spokesman for the National Congress party al-Shafee Ahmad Muhammad as saying that "the American decision was hasty and is not considered an indication for the good intention towards attaining peace."

The spokesman told the paper that Washington wants to use this incident "as a pressure element on the Sudanese government in order to accept what it had refused before. And this will never happen." Khartoum had refused in January an American proposal to bring in observers in order to prevent the bombardment of civilians by planes.

Previous Stories:
  Khartoum: the American decision to halt peaceful efforts is hasty   (2/27/2002)
  US suspends peace talks with Sudan   (2/22/2002)
  US anger against Sudanese bombardment of a southern village   (2/14/2002)

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