Sudan’s SPLM threatens to refer oilfield dispute to The Hague

July 26, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM) said it is prepared to refer the issue of the Heglig oil fields to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) if necessary.

This week the PCA redefined the boundaries of Abyei which is on the borders of North and South Sudan. The tribunal awarded North Sudan the area’s key Heglig and Bamboo oilfields placing them in the north Sudan district of Southern Kordofan.

Despite the SPLM agreeing to the ruling on Abyei, it contested that the oilfields while not part of Abyei, they belong to South Sudan states.

The deputy head of the SPLM bloc in the Sudanese parliament Atem Garang said the PCA ruling did not decide if the oilfields are part of North or South Sudan.

Garang said the SPLM will wait on the outcome of the North-South border demarcation committee before deciding on the next move.

He warned that if the committee fails to agree then the SPLM will mull whether to resort to a political solution or international arbitration.

The Sudanese government announced that it will no longer share the oil revenue from Heglig oil field with the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) in light of the ruling.

Khartoum further said that any arrears owed to GoSS will be deducted from future remittances in accordance with the wealth sharing provision of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

(ST)