Abyei: Sudan, South Sudan in talk over cumulative oil arrears
October 31, 2022 (JUBA) – Sudan and South Sudan are in talks over arrears Juba owes Khartoum from oil produced in the disputed Abyei region, an official said.
Luka Biong Deng, part of South Sudan’s delegation that visited Khartoum, said President Salva Kiir was fully committed to fully cooperate on Abyei’s final status through dialogue in order to restore peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence.
He described as “successful” the meeting held with the top leadership in Sudan.
“In Khartoum, we met Dr. Jibril [Ibrahim], the Sudanese Minister of Finance, on the status of Abyei’s oil revenues arrears with 2% to Ngok Dinka, 2% to Warrap state, and 42% to the Government of South Sudan,” said Deng.
The former Cabinet Affairs minister did not elaborate further on matters discussed.
A member of the South Sudanese delegation that visited Khartoum, separately, told Sudan Tribune that neighbouring Sudan had opted that the cumulated arrears be forfeited as part of Juba’s contribution to the peace process in Sudan.
“Sudanese officials have repeatedly approached the president [Kiir] and spoke in a way suggesting that he should let go all areas of 42% share of the oil revenue from Abyei and consider as part of the contribution to the peace efforts by South Sudan to Sudan. You know Sudan is in a deep economic crisis. The political situation in Sudan has affected a way of generating finances,” explained the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The world’s youngest nation is one of the regional countries which has been attempting to ensure peace is attained in Sudan, through the implementation of the Juba peace agreement and by encouraging parties to undertake a political process that would guarantee the legitimate aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Juba has also advocated for an end to Sudan’s political stalemate, stressing the need to restore democracy, form civilian constitutional governing institutions and achieve transitional justice and removal of regular forces from political processes.
The East African nation has further been engaged in diplomatic and bilateral talks supportive of the initiative and efforts being undertaken by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom.
Abyei is an area on the border between South Sudan and the Sudan that has been accorded special administrative status by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Sudan’s civil war.
Under the terms of the Abyei Protocol, which was part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), Abyei residents have been declared, on an interim basis, to be simultaneously citizens of Sudan’s West Kordofan State and South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State until its permanent status is determined through a referendum.
(ST)