South Sudan’s Kiir arrives in Khartoum

October 8, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir Mayardit arrived today’s afternoon in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in the first visit since his country gained independence from Sudan in July this year.

Kiir was received at Khartoum’s airport by his Sudanese counterpart Omer Al-Bashir and a number of ambassadors and diplomats, according to Sudan’s official news agency SUNA.

He was accompanied by South Sudan’s minister of cabinet affairs, Deng Alor, as well ministers of oil, finance and foreign affairs.

An advance delegation of eight ministers from South Sudan’s government arrived earlier on Friday in Khartoum, state media also reported.

Kiir’s visit aims to discuss a host of contentious issues between the two nations, including the contested region of Abyei and oil.

The visit also comes against the backdrop of fighting in Sudan’s border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile between the country’s army and forces previously aligned with South Sudan.

Negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan over issues of transit fees the south should pay to use Khartoum’s pipeline infrastructure to export its oil are yet to produce an agreement.

Diplomatic relations further frayed following the refusal of both nations to withdraw their troops from Abyei region which has been occupied by Sudan’s army since May.

South Sudan, which says it withdrew troops from Abyei, called on the UN Security Council on Thursday to set a deadline for the withdrawal of Sudan’s army from Abyei or hold Khartoum accountable.

Sudan said it intends to withdraw troops but said this would only happen if the UN-mandated mission of Ethiopian peacekeepers is fully deployed.

(ST)