Sudan regrets Juba statements as Kiir reaffirms his top priority to Kenyan pipeline
May 23, 2013 (KHARTOUM/JUBA) – Sudan’s foreign ministry regretted statements issued by South Sudanese officials claiming that oil flow was deliberately blocked for political reasons, while in Juba president Salva Kiir reaffirmed that an alternative pipeline through Kenya remains his top priority.
Earlier this week South Sudanese official said that Khartoum blocked the oil flow after recent allegations that Juba continues its support to the rebel groups in Darfur and South Kordofan.
President Kiir on Monday said they may be forced to shutdown oil production again if the Sudanese government “continue to use playing tactics and denials”. He was alluding to statements from Khartoum that there was a temporary cut off for technical reasons.
The Undersecretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry Rahmatallah Mohamed Osman on Thursday said that his government was surprised by the accusations launched by South Sudanese officials “even at the highest level”.
“These accusations are not limited to statements only but the government of South Sudan reported it to several parties in the international community”, he said adding “it is unfortunate” and “there was no reason to justify it”.
Osman who was speaking in a briefing to foreign diplomats in Khartoum further disclosed that the oil was blocked at the Jebelain station, where oil is purified from water, because the percentage of water mixed with the crude reached 40% while international standards require that its maximum can reach 10%.
The Sudanese official further said that oil was temporary cut off also because of the disruption of network communication system due to long shutdown of the pipeline and the difficulties that Sudanese maintenance teams find to enter in South Sudan.
Since Wednesday South Sudanese oil minister made statements aiming to calm down the situation and announced his travel to Khartoum to meet his Sudanese counterpart Awad Al-Jaz to discuss ways to coordinate efforts to address these technical problems.
In a joint press conference held in the Sudanese capital on Thursday, the two ministers reiterated the commitment of their countries to the implementation of the cooperation agreement as it was defined last March.
However, Al-Jaz expressed hopes that Juba makes the necessary steps in the implementation of security agreements, in a clear reference the alleged support to the Sudanese rebel groups.
The two ministers also failed to give a date for the resumption of oil exportation from Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
JUBA MAKES KENYAN PIPELINE ITS TOP PRIORITY
President Salva Kiir Mayardit said Thursday that his government gives top priority to the construction of an alternative pipeline to neighbouring Kenya, apparently to avoid being dependent on the Sudanese pipeline.
“The construction of the pipeline is our top priority. We have agreed with President Uhuru Kenyatta to do one thing at a time”, Kirr said in a joint press conference with the with the new Kenyan president who visited Juba on Thursday for the first time since his election.
He disclosed that his administration has taken advanced steps on Lamu port project.
“I know there is need to construct a road to link us with Kenya but we cannot do all these together at once. They are very expensive. So we have agreed to first of all put our joint efforts on the construction of the pipeline”, Kiir further told reporters Thursday.
Meanwhile Kenyatta said he agreed with president Kiir to implement a memorandum of understanding signed last year to build an oil pipeline from South Sudan to Lamu port.
“We have agreed on an area where need to jointly fund and undertake the construction of the pipeline. We have agreed to work to jointly work together as South Sudan-Kenya project, president Kenyatta said without giving additional information.
(ST)