S. Sudan parliament summons 3 ministers over oil row with Sudan
June 10, 2013(JUBA) – South Sudan parliament on Monday summoned three cabinet ministers over the oil dispute with the government of neighbouring Sudan, following an order issued by its president Omer al-Bashir to halt the flow of crude oil through its territory to the international markets.
In a heated parliamentary debate, some critical legislators and senior members of the governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) demanded the government to recall its ambassador to Sudan and expel the Sudanese ambassador from the country, describing Khartoum as an aggressive country determined to undermine independence at all costs.
“We are not independent if [we] continue to rely on the oil exports through Sudan which is the pipeline as a tool to impose economic war on us. We must leave Sudan if it does not recognise the need to promote bilateral relations between the two countries”, said Charles Majak, a member of parliament from Twic county in Warrap state.
Majak said it was high time the country diversify the economy by focusing on mobilising its resources and energies on agricultural projects and building roads instead of relying solely on oil.
The government’s chief whip, Atem Garang de Kuek, said Sudan should have shown more gratitude to the new nation for providing financial assistance to the already established country.
“Sudan should have been the country which should be showing seriousness not just in promoting better relations with us and in the implementation of the cooperation [agreement] because it is the one of the countries which enjoys immense economic benefits from the oil proceeds but that we are the first African country to provide a huge financial assistance to close their budgetary deficit. We have done what no country in African can do. We are proving three billion dollars assistance to Sudan yet it is still not seeing us as good neighbour. I do not know what they want”, Garang said.
Peter Bashir Gbandi, a former controller of the house and a senior member of the SPLM, has also called on the country to pay attention to diversifying its economy and developing the agriculture sector.
“We should forget completely about oil revenues. We should diversity our economy. Our government should look for the alternative source of revenue instead of relying on the oil which Khartoum uses as pressuring tool”, he said.
The minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Nhial Deng Nhial, minister of cabinet affairs Deng Alor Kuol and the minister in the office of the president, Emmanuel Lomoro Lowila, were all called to appear before the house on Tuesday.
The Sudanese government on Sunday qualified comments by Bashir ordering the suspension of oil flows from South Sudan, saying that the latter can rectify the situation and avert the shutdown by withdrawing its alleged support to the rebel alliance, Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), within the next 60 days.
(ST)