AU urges Oslo donors to honor financial pledge to South Sudan
August 25, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) appealed to the international community to fulfil its obligations promised at the Oslo donors conference for the financing of reconstruction and development projects in southern Sudan and to work towards helping Sudan by alleviating the burdens of foreign debts.
Ambassador Mohiddin Salim, Sudan’s representative in the African Union, told the official SUNA following the conclusion of the AUPSC meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday August 24, regarding the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), that the Council called in its final statement on the African Ministerial Committee for reconstructing the south, to make their postponed visit to southern Sudan to look into the development and reconstruction process.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) created a semi-autonomous authority in southern Sudan, a national unity government, separate north and south militaries and sharing of oil wealth, with the option of full independence for the south in a referendum by 2011.
Salim pointed out that the statement emphasized the need for more efforts by both parties to the Convention to solve the pending problems between them according to the requirements of the agreement.
He indicated the Council’s confidence in the parties to reach formulas and mechanisms to address problems, such as Abyei and the border demarcation between the North and South.
“The CPA implementation process continues to face serious challenges that need the full attention of both Khartoum and South Sudan, in reaching agreement over the oil revenue sharing and north-south border,” said African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Said Djinnit.
The Sudanese Ambassador noted that the meeting had heard a report by the African Union Commission presented by Said Djinnit, the African peace and security commissioner, about the implementation track of the Convention and a report from Telar Deng, the state minister at the presidency and head of Sudan’s delegation to the meeting.
He added that a report was presented by Bernaba Benjamin, the minister for regional cooperation in the southern Sudan government, and that the meeting heard reports from the ambassador of Kenya at African Union, who is the current chairman of IGAD and South Africa as chairman of the African Ministerial Committee for the reconstruction of the south.
(ST)