Kerry is cutiously optimistic about Sudan - Reuters article

[karynnj]

"It's been slow, slower than one would like, frankly, but I think there is a potential for progress," Kerry told reporters. "I really came away with the impression if they can solve this, they would prefer to do that and they understand the stakes."

Obama has offered to drop Khartoum from the U.S. official terror blacklist provided it cooperates with the January referendums on whether southern Sudan becomes an independent nation and whether the oil-rich region of Abyei joins the north or the south.

Both votes were promised under a 2005 peace deal which ended Africa's longest civil war. But arrangements for the Abyei vote are hotly contested, raising fears it could be delayed and thus spark new conflict.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States would continue to seek a negotiated deal to all issues between the two sides, possibly before the January referendums take place.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6AA01H20101111