Pagan says South Sudan is ready to implement Cooperation Agreement
December 2, 2012 (JUBA) – President Salva Kiir on Saturday sent a letter inviting his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Al-Bashir, to visit Juba and assuring readiness of his government to fully implement the Cooperation Agreement which the two heads of state signed in the Ethiopian on27 September.
“There is nothing secret in the letter. It is all about clear, simple and realistic plans giving details about commitment of the government of South Sudan (…) to fully implement the Cooperation Agreement to the spirit in which it was signed,” he said.
“We are committed to implementing it. We do not want to betray our partners, especially those supporting resumption of improved bilateral relations to promote the idea of two “viable states”, Mawien stressed in statement to Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
South Sudan chief negotiator Pagan Amum arrived on Saturday to Khartoum where he held a meeting with Idriss Abdel-Gadir who chair the Sudanese team in Addis Ababa process over the outstanding issues.
Speaking to reporters in Khartoum Pagan said the talks with his Sudanese counterpart aim to overcome the obstacles facing the implementation of the cooperation agreement before the meetings of the joint security committee which are scheduled for Monday .
Mawien said that Pagan will discuss in Khartoum how to accelerate processes of setting up different committees to implement the cooperation agreement.
Before to leave Juba, Amum made no statement about content of the letter that Kiir addresses to Bashir but said he was going to deliver “a message of willingness” of the government of South Sudan to implement the deal.
“I am going with the message of peace and commitment of the government of South Sudan to fully implement the cooperation agreement which presidents of the two countries had signed in Addis Ababa in September this year. This agreement, as you know, has a lot of benefits to our people and should be implemented to the best of their interest,” Amum told reporters on Saturday.
Talks on the implementation process are stalled over Khartoum’s demand to disarm Sudanese rebels who were part of the South Sudanese former rebel SPLA before the signing of 2005 peace agreement. But Juab says it has no authority over them since the independence.
Pagan said he would discuss how the two countries would form committees to begin immediate process to implement the deal including the need to demilitarize border zone in order for his country to resume oil production and export through Sudanese territory and open the borders so that movement of people and goods resumes.
Pagan while he was in Juba added that security officials from both countries will meet on Monday in Khartoum to discuss setting up the demilitarized zone without giving additional comments on whether Juba accepted Khartoum’s demand to disarm Sudanese rebel, or giving names of Sudanese nationals from Blue Nile South Kordofan States wanting to serve in South Sudan army.
In Khartoum, Al-Sudani newspaper, citing Sudanese sources reported on Saturday that Juba accepted to demobilize Sudanese from South Kordofan and Blue Nile working in the SPLA.
(ST)