Sudan says next round of talks with South Sudanon oil “decisive”
February 24, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The next round of talks with South Sudan on oil will be “decisive” said a member of Khartoum’s negotiating team today.
The two neighboring nations will meet next month in Addis Ababa in a new bid to resolve their differences over pricing of oil transportation fees from South Sudan through pipelines in the north to the coastal city of Port Sudan.
The dispute escalated last year after Khartoum started seizing part of the oil pumped by the landlocked south as a form of a payment in kind. Juba, angered by the move, suspended its oil production entirely which led many analysts to believe that the two nations are on the brink of war.
Al-Zubeir Ahmed Al-Hassan told the government sponsored Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website that Sudan’s delegation worked on formulating a strategy that is hoped to make the two countries closer to a solution. He said this was one of the reasons the talks were rescheduled till next month.
In addition to that he said that Thabo Mbeki, the chairman of the African Union (AU) panel mediating between the two sides, is currently in New York.
The Sudanese official said that they have conducted a thorough analysis and extensive preparations on the possibility of reaching an agreement.
In the last round, Sudan has reportedly asked for $36 per oil barrel exported by the south. The latter reiterated its rejection to the figure which was put forward before by Khartoum.
South Sudan’s chief negotiator Pagan Amum had said in press statements that they offered Khartoum $2.6 billion in cash and forgiving $2.8 billion of its debt to break the deadlock.
(ST)