Khartoum and Juba strike new tone on post-independence negotiations

March 23, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The top negotiators from Sudan and South Sudan on Friday spoke of a new spirit in the discussions on post-independence issues that have dragged on for years.

The Secretary General of the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) Pagan Amum at a radio forum in Khartoum said that the upcoming summit between president Omer Hassan al-Bashir and his southern counterpart Salva Kiir was a joint initiative made by the negotiating teams.

Amum, who is the chief negotiator for South Sudan, said the purpose of the summit was to change the direction of talks and move the two countries into a new phase of relations steering the two sides away from mistrust and creating confidence that would allow for changing their mentality from “confrontation and clash” to partnership.

The SPLM Secretary General said last week’s framework agreements signed on nationality and borders was a “turning point” that was a result of adjusting stances instead of staying entrenched in prefixed positions. He went on to say that the two delegations started working as one team by recognising that the disputed items are joint ones.

Sudan’s lead negotiator Idriss Abdel-Gader that the two sides began the process of mending ties in their meeting yesterday and agreed that the media should refrain from reporting sensational stories on the negotiations.

Abdel-Gader also revealed that there will be joint committees to discuss trade after first ensuring the improvement of security situation on the borders. He added that the interior ministers from the two countries will review the status of citizens on the other side of the borders.

Today Amum met with senior security officials in Sudan including minister of interior Ibrahim Hamed, Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein and Intelligence Director Mohamed Atta in Khartoum to lay the groundwork for the discussions by the interior ministries’ joint committee.

Amum was joined by South Sudan’s Cabinet Affairs Minister Deng Alor and Justice Minister John Luke.

The communiqué of the meeting said the discussions were frank and candid with a genuine desire to reach comprehensive solutions.

The SPLM Sec. Gen., who arrived on Thursday handed an invitation from Kiir to Bashir to a 3 April summit “with the aim of solving the pending issues between the two states”.

It would be Bashir’s first visit to South Sudan since it separated from Sudan last year following a referendum.

After months of failed negotiations, a dispute over oil fees and mutual accusations of backing rebels on each other’s territory it is hoped that last week’s accords would create a positive atmosphere going forward.

When South Sudan gained its independence it took about three-quarters of Sudanese oil production with it, but it has no facilities to export the crude, with using northern infrastructure.

At the heart of their dispute has been disagreement over how much Juba should pay to use northern pipelines and Port Sudan.

(ST)