Hopes high for US-Sudan policy
From AP / CNN, May 14
"U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to make a policy statement on Sudan soon, where he may seek better relations with the government, a diplomat familiar with the discussion said.
Bush recently gave a speech decrying the human rights situation in Sudan, but at the same time his nominee for top Africa diplomat at the State Department, Walter Kansteiner, is known to advocate improving relations with Sudan."
"Some observers say the U.S. approach to Sudan has prolonged the war and risked undermining political moderates in Khartoum."
Roger Guarda, the U.N. resident coordinator in Khartoum, says a "wrong" image of the country has been portrayed to the world, adding that Clinton's policy "did not help improve the situation in Sudan."
"We are seeing more and more goods in the shops, more visitors and Internet cafes, the overall outlook has improved," Guarda told The Associated Press. "The big issue is the United States' position ... Sudan itself has toned down its strident fundamentalist policies, although still things are not hunky-dory."
In contrast, European countries have accepted the government's claims of improvement. European diplomats say there have been dramatic changes in recent years, while adding that much still needs to be done.
"The danger with the U.S. position is that it fails to recognize its own success," one European diplomat said on condition of anonymity. He said Europeans believe now is the time to engage the government and acknowledged the progress it has made.
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