US Secretary Clinton meets Sudan VP in New York, Qatari ruler

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday met Sudanese Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha in New York. The two discussed the referenda for South Sudan and Abyei. She also met separately with the ruler of the Gulf-state of Qatar, which is taking a leading role in hosting and mediating the peace talks for Darfur.The meeting with Taha took place at a hotel near the UN General Assembly. Clinton’s spokesman, Assistant Secretary Philip Crowley, said at a press briefing that in her meeting with Taha “she affirmed the US commitment to full implementation of the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement] and reiterated that we need to see decisive action to ensure a peaceful, on-time referenda” for Southern Sudan and Abyei.

Taha raised the issue of the US trade restrictions against Sudan. “Vice President Taha was very direct: there are some things that Sudan wants to get out of its future relations with the United States,” said Crowley.

On the same day, yesterday, Clinton also met the emir of Qatar Hamad Al Thani, and the foreign ministers of Libya and Saudi Arabia. Crowley said the topic of Sudan came up in the meetings with the Libyan minster and the Qatari emir.