The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, held talks with the Sudanese army leadership during her five-day visit to Khartoum last week.
The visit was aimed at encouraging the Sudanese to make progress in their efforts to establish a framework for a civilian-led transitional government.
She underscored the urgent imperative of ceding power to a civilian-led transitional government and made clear there would be no resumption of US assistance until the democratic transition is restored.
In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the US embassy in Khartoum, Phee said that the time has come for constructive dialogue and action to establish a civilian-led transitional framework.
She pressed for implementation of confidence-building measures, especially holding accountable those responsible for the deaths of 100 protestors, and for an end to the violence against protestors, including sexual and gender-based violence, suffered by thousands more.
“In a decisive meeting brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia on June 9, key actors took steps to build the confidence necessary to enable the inclusive participation of civilian stakeholders in the political process facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission to Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to restore a civilian-led transition to democracy,” the statement read.
Phee affirmed that the United States remains committed to a strong partnership with the people of Sudan in support of their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.
The statement further pointed out that Phee met with leaders across the political spectrum, including a broad cross-section of civil society and Resistance Committee representatives, medical doctors and attorneys, women activists, families of martyrs in the pro-democracy struggle, and representatives of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front.
In all of these engagements, the US top official underscored the need for immediate progress and reiterated strong US support for the Sudanese people’s democratic aspirations.
