German FM visits Sudan, urges quick end to north-south tension

June 23, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Germany’s foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has urged north and south Sudan to quickly contain tension along border areas and announced a hike in his country’s aid quota for refugees displaced by clashes in Abyei and South Kordofan.

Westerwelle arrived in the capital Khartoum on Thursday amid rising tension between north and south Sudan which is due to declare full independence on 9 July.

Last month’s occupation by North Sudan army of Abyei region, which is claimed by the south, was followed by fighting in the north-south border state of South Kordofan between northern forces and elements aligned with Sudan People’s Liberation Army of South Sudan.

The ex-war foes reached an agreement this week to demilitarize Abyei and deploy Ethiopian peacekeepers until the region’s status can be decided. Meanwhile, South Kordofan fighting has escalated into heavy artillery and aerial bombardment, forcing 75,000 people to flee amid reports on wide-ranging abuses committed by North Sudan army and its allied militias against the local Nuba population.

Speaking in a press conference following his meeting with Sudan foreign minister Ali Karti on Thursday, Westerwelle urged both north and south Sudan “to settle their remaining disputes to that the ‘independence process proceeds fairly peacefully.”

“The separation of the future state of South Sudan must not fail ‘just before the finishing line,’ he added

Germany is due to assume the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of July when South Sudan declares independence from the north in accordance with the outcome of the region’s referendum on independence held at the start of this year.

Meanwhile, Germany’s cabinet has passed a resolution to recognize South Sudan as Africa’s 54th independent state pending declaration of independence in July.

The visiting German minister has also voiced concern about the situation in South Kordofan, urging the authorities to allow aid groups unfettered access to help the people displaced by the fighting. “The situation of the displaced people who were forced to flee because of violent clashes in Abyei and South Kordofan is causing us great concern,” he said.

“It is because of this difficult situation that we decided to allocate more aid” Westerwelle said, adding that Germany’s relief appropriation for refugees in Sudan would increase by 1 million euros (1.4 million dollars) to 4.2 million euros.

Prior to Westerwelle’s visit on Wednesday, Germany floated a new Africa policy which recalibrates development aid spending to serve German interests in obtaining minerals and oil in the African continent.

According to the policy document, announced in Berlin on Wendesday, Germany’s future development aid spending will aim to achieve ‘value for money’ and better market access for German companies.

During his two-day visit in Sudan, Westerwelle is scheduled to meet the country’s second vice-president Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and visit South Sudan.

The top German diplomat, however, made no appointment to meet President Al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in the country’s western region of Darfur.

Westerwelle conducted a visit on Thursday to Darfur region where he was received in El-Fashir town, the provincial capital of North Darfur State, by Mohamed Yonis, the Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) of the UN-AU Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). He was also received by the governor of North Darfur and other local officials.

(ST)