Khartoum threatens to close Washington's embassy, Abuja negotiations stumbled
Sudan, Politics, 10/27/2004

Negotiations stopped in Abuja yesterday over Darfur once again when the rebels refused to negotiate directly with the Sudanese government delegation until the meeting of the African Union leaders separately to agree on the agenda.

However, delegations for the African Union announced that the negotiations will be resumed today and that the negotiators will be meeting with the two sides to solve pending issues.

Meantime, the UN Security Council yesterday approved unanimously to convene meetings over Sudan and Darfur crisis in Nairobi on November 18 and 19.

Negotiations were opened in Abuja on Monday amid reciprocated accusations of violating the cease- fire in Darfur. The spokesman for the Sudan Liberation movement Majzoub Hussein said that his group will not meet with the government's delegation before an agreement on the agenda and that he wants the African Union to meet with the two sides of the negotiations. each separately for this objective. However, the security issue was the main reason behind the suspension of talks on Monday. Hussein said "it is the same problem.. we need to know the content of the agenda." Delegates for the African Union announced that the political negotiations will be resumed today and that the mediators will meet within this time the two sides separately to discuss with them security issues in preparation to draw the draft agreement.

The representative of the UN in Sudan Yan Brinik said that it is possible to sign a pan peace agreement by the end of the current year. He told journalists in Khartoum that Abuja negotiations achieved a progress in political issues which were discussed for the first time. He added that negotiations are being made simultaneously at the security and humanitarian levels on the one hand and at the political and economic levels on the other.

Meantime, the Sudanese government threatened to close the American embassy in Khartoum by the fall of this month if the US will not help its diplomatic mission in Washington to open a bank account to solve a complicated problem pending since months.

The US Department Of State said in August this year it will help the Sudanese embassy to find a bank that accepts to open an account for it after the bank it deals with has been closed. Ismael said following a meeting with the American charge de affairs "we have been waiting since more than 3 months, they give us excuses or solve the problem partially.. we will postpone the decision until the end of this month. If the matter is settled this will be good. And if not there will be no way for continuing work of the Sudanese embassy and on the ground of the reciprocated treatment there will be no way for continuing work of the American embassy here in Khartoum."

Previous Stories:
  Egypt, Sudan seek laying out solid economic integration   (10/26/2004)
  Negotiations resumed between Khartoum and Darfur rebellions   (10/26/2004)
  Inter-Sudanese negotiations postponed   (10/22/2004)

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