Readout of the Vice President's Call with the Sudanese Second Vice President

Vice President Biden spoke with Sudanese Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha today regarding the upcoming referendum on the status of Southern Sudan. The Vice President underscored the United States' commitment to an on-time referendum and emphasized the importance of Sudanese commitment to finding a negotiated path forward on critical outstanding Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and post-referendum issues. He also underscored our ongoing concern about engagement with armed proxies and encouraged the Sudanese government to be reassuring and responsible in its messages and policies toward southerners in the north. The two agreed that a positive relationship between Northern and Southern Sudan, regardless of the outcome of the referendum, is important for all the Sudanese people, regional stability, and the U.S.-Sudan relationship.