The United States on Thursday criticized an assertion by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that Khartoum will not recognize South Sudan as independent, if it claims the disputed Abyei region. South Sudan is set to become fully independent in July.
美国对苏丹总统巴希尔就阿卜耶伊地区发表的言论提出了批评。巴希尔表示，如果苏丹南部声称对有争议的阿卜耶伊地区拥有主权，那么苏丹将不承认南苏丹为独立国家。南苏丹计划于7月份成为主权完全独立的国家。
The State Department’s top Africa diplomat is framing Bashir's comments on Abyei as unhelpful, and is urging leaders in Khartoum and the southern capital Juba to recommit to negotiations to settle remaining north-south disputes.
美国国务院负责非洲事务的高级外交官把苏丹总统巴希尔的言论称做“于事无补”，并敦促喀土穆和南部苏丹首都朱巴的领导人重开谈判，解决南北之间仍然存留的分歧。
The Sudanese president has pledged to respect the results of the January referendum, in which southern Sudanese voted overwhelmingly for independence to take effect on July 9.
苏丹总统曾经誓言要尊重1月份的全民公决结果。在那次公决中，苏丹南部人民以压倒多数的投票赞成独立，南苏丹将于7月9日正式独立。
But the process appeared to hit a snag this week when Bashir said his government would never recognize an independent south, if it tries to claim the oil-rich central Abyei region.
但在这个星期，巴希尔总统说，如果南苏丹试图声称对中部盛产石油的阿卜耶伊地区拥有主权，那么苏丹政府将永远不会承认独立的南苏丹。看起来南苏丹的独立进程遭遇了障碍。
In a talk with reporters here, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson said the parties need to set aside threatening rhetoric and peacefully settle their remaining issues under their 2005 Comprehensive Peace Accord, or CPA, before July.
美国国务院负责非洲事务的助理国务卿约翰尼.卡森在华盛顿对记者说，各方应该摈弃威胁言辞，根据他们于2005年签署的全面和平协议，以和平方式解决存在的分歧。
"Those comments are not helpful at all, and they only serve to inflame and heighten tensions. It is important that both sides - those in Khartoum and those in Juba - focus intensely on trying to resolve the key issues that have not been completed under the CPA. Abyei is one of them. This must be done before July 9. And it important that President Bashir and the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, continue to meet, negotiate, to resolve these issues as quickly as possible," he said.
卡森说：“这些言论于事无补，只能煽动并使紧张程度升高。对喀土穆与朱巴两边的领导人来说，集中精力解决全面和平协议没能解决的问题是至关重要的，阿卜耶伊就是问题之一。这个问题必须在7月9日之前得到解决。巴希尔总统与南苏丹的萨尔瓦.基尔总统能够尽快继续举行会晤、进行谈判、解决问题是非常重要的。”
Carson also said he has intervened with Uganda’s government over its treatment of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was arrested on Thursday for the fourth time this month.
卡森助理国务卿说，他对乌干达政府对待反对派领导人贝西杰的行为进行了干预。贝西杰星期四再次被捕，这是一个月来他第四次被捕。
Besigye, who finished second in Uganda’s February election behind President Yoweri Museveni, has been leading protests in Kampala against alleged corruption, and soaring food and fuel prices.
贝西杰在2月份的选举中获得第二多选票，仅位于总统穆塞韦尼之后。他一直领导首都坎帕拉的示威活动。示威者抗议他们所称的腐败，抗议高昂的食品与燃料价格。
Carson said he telephoned Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kuteesa earlier Thursday to protest what he said was the apparent serious mistreatment of Besigye, and the arrests of other opposition figures.
卡森说，他在星期四早些时候给乌干达外交部长萨姆.库泰萨打电话，抗议贝西杰显然受到的虐待以及对其他反对派人士的逮捕。
"We have expressed our concern about what appears to be harassment of Dr. Bisigye. I have myself spoken to the Ugandan foreign minister about this, and have urged that the Ugandan government act in both a responsible and civil fashion in dealing with the arrest of individuals attempting to carry out peaceful protests," said Carson.
卡森说：“我已经就贝西杰博士受到的骚扰表达了我们的关注。我跟乌干达外长亲自谈到这个问题，并且敦促乌干达政府以负责任的、文明的方式行事，处理那些试图和平示威的人士被逮捕的问题。”
Carson said he urged reconciliation and the opening of political space for peaceful protests in Uganda, and said he was told that Museveni plans to meet opposition leaders next week to ease tensions.
卡森说，他敦促和解，并敦促在乌干达开放一个举行和平示威的政治空间。卡森表示，他被告知，穆塞韦尼总统计划下周与反对派领导人会面，以缓解紧张。
The assistant secretary, who was among international observers of Nigeria’s April 16 presidential election, hailed the country’s multistage electoral process this month as its most successful since the end of military rule in 1999.
卡森助理国务卿作为国际观察员目睹了尼日利亚4月16日举行的总统选举。他赞扬尼日利亚本月的多级选举进程是该国自1999年结束军人统治以来最为成功的选举。
He said the United States deplores the widespread lethal violence in northern Nigeria that occurred after the reelection of President Goodluck Johnson was confirmed.
他说，美国对在古德勒克.乔纳森赢得总统连任后发生在尼日利亚北部的广泛暴力深感遗憾。
But Carson said that overall, U.S. officials noted a more responsive security presence and hope that the latest elections, while imperfect, will provide "a baseline" for further improvement in a historically trouble-ridden process.
不过卡森表示，总得来说美国注意到，尼日利亚采取的相应安全措施；美国希望，虽然最近的选举不够完美，但能提供一个底线，从而进一步改善历史上一直问题不断的和平进程。 |