عاااجل .. الكونغرس الأمريكي يجهز وثيقة الإعتراف بدولة الجنوب الجديدة .. و يضع العدالة بدارفور

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US senator seeks Sudan engagement after referendum

(AFP) –

WASHINGTON — A key US senator unveiled a bill Wednesday to cement Washington's engagement with strife-torn Sudan through a January 2011 referendum that could see the South claim its independence.

"Sudan is facing a defining moment. While the Sudanese must own their future, the United States can help the parties find a peaceful path forward," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry said in a statement.

The proposal from Kerry, a close White House ally, affirms support for President Barack Obama's diplomatic outreach and efforts to forge a lasting peace, as well as address the fate of the violence-wracked Darfur region.

The "Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010" offers US help to achieve the goals of a 2005 peace agreement between north and south Sudan that ended two decades of civil war, during which about two million people were killed.

The bill calls for certain types of US aid for security forces and civil aviation in Southern Sudan but requires progress on good governance and accountability in return, according to a summary provided by Kerry's office.

The Massachusetts Democrat's proposal called for naming a "full-time, senior official" -- in addition to an existing Sudan "special envoy" post -- to help bolster fractious peace talks between the Sudanese government in Khartoum and rebel groups in Darfur.

Darfur, an arid desert region, has been gripped by a civil war since 2003 that has killed 300,000 people and displaced another 2.7 million, according to UN figures. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died.

The legislation notes that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges that he masterminded a campaign of genocide in Darfur.

And it declares that US policy will be to "support international efforts, including those of the International Criminal Court, to bring those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur."

Kerry's bill says oil shipped from Southern Sudan may transit northward without being subject to US sanctions in some cases, and calls on Washington to work with international partners to ensure the referendum goes smoothly and humanitarian aid flows to areas in need.

Senators Russell Feingold and ######## Durbin, both Democrats, co-sponsored the measure with Republican Senators Sam Brownback and Roger Wicker.
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