By David Alexander
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday condemned the disruption of a peaceful protest outside Sudan's parliament this week, saying freedom of speech and assembly were essential for credible elections next year.
Sudanese authorities on Monday arrested and briefly detained three senior members of south Sudan's main political party and fired tear gas to disrupt a protest by their supporters outside parliament.
"The United States condemns the disruption of peaceful protests and acts of political violence committed by any party," Clinton said. "Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and protection from arbitrary arrest and detention are instrumental to allow for credible elections in April 2010."
She said U.S. special envoy Scott Gration would return to Sudan this weekend to help restart a dialogue and resolve outstanding issues that are contributing to rising tensions.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Clinton's remarks and decision to send Gration back to the region underscored the urgency of laying the groundwork for next year's election and south Sudan's referendum on independence.
"Time is of the essence. The first referendum happens in April and there is work that the parties have to do in terms of laws on border demarcation, on census, voter registration and so forth," the official said.
"I think what concerned us is the dynamic over the last few days in terms of demonstrations, police crackdown," the official said. "Left unchecked it will lead to a divisive environment that would not lend itself to the referendum in April."
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement and opposition parties had called for demonstrations on Monday to demand democratic reforms in a rare challenge to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
Authorities issued a last-minute ban in a bid to stop the protests. Some opposition parties said the ban showed north Sudan's dominant National Congress Party was not serious about allowing dissenting voices to participate in the upcoming vote.
Oil-producing Sudan is scheduled to conduct its first multi-party election in 24 years under the terms of a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war between the country's north and south and created an NCP-SPLM coalition government.
"The next few months will be tense as we get closer to the election and the referendum," Clinton told reporters.
"It is critical that all parties redouble their efforts to resolve problems through political dialogue and without violence," she added.
"Sudan is an important priority for President Obama and myself and we are committed to seeing a peaceful democratic transformation."
The U.S. official said Clinton sent Gration to the region in hopes of getting the parties "focussed once again on the steps they need to take leading up to April."
(Editing by Eric Beech and Chris Wilson)
