Sudan warns against postponement of security meetings
June 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government warned Juba against the continued delay of the meetings of a joint security committee, among increasing accusations that Juba continue to harbour and support rebel groups.
Sudanese intelligence and security services meant during the last period to leak reports to the media in Khartoum speaking about presence of rebel leaders in Juba or channelling of weapons or logistical support to the rebel groups. Also, after an unsuccessful visit to his foreign minister Ali Karti to Juba on 17 May, Bashir warned they will shut down oil exportation if his southern neighbour continues to provides support to the rebels.
“Any postponement of the Committee meetings, or delay in the enforcement of security arrangements as provided in the implementation matrix for the cooperation agreements will impact negatively the progress in the implementation of remaining cooperation agreements”, Al-Muez Farouk, a JPSM member from the Sudanese side said in statements to the private TV channel Ashorooq on Wednesday.
The Sudanese official pointed out that the security arrangements are the basis for the implementation of the matrix deal which includes timeframes for implementation of the cooperation agreement signed on 27 September 2012.
He further underlined the importance of peace and security between the two countries so as not to affect the implementation of other agreements.
On the other side on Wednesday, the official SUNA reported that “intensive consultations” are taking place between the two sides of the JPSM to sit a date for the meeting which was scheduled to be held in Juba on Monday 3 June.
The news agency added that the two sides need to make some arrangements in order to hold a successful meeting.
Farouk last Sunday stated that the postponement was decided after discussions between the defence ministers in the two countries to allow further consultations, without elaboration.
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir disclosed last May that Ali Karti asked him to authorise Sudanese army to pursue rebels inside the South Sudanese territory and to close some business offices allegedly used by the rebels to import logistics, but he refused the two requests.
In New York, the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday was briefed by Haile Menkerios, UN special envoy of the Secretary-General on Sudan and South Sudan, on the latest developments between the two countries. The envoy raised some concerns about the “negative rhetoric” between the two sides, and the little progress done on Abyei.
Mark Lyall Grant, United Kingdom ambassador to the UN and President of the UNSC for June 2013, told reporters that the participants in this informal meeting agreed that “any support by one side or the other for the other rebel movements is completely unacceptable and all the members of the Security Council are clear that should not happen”, he said.
The British diplomat further said that the two parties should use the existing mechanisms of bilateral channels to resolve these issues. “It is important that the dialogue between the two parties continue at every level including the talks at the top level”, he added.
(ST)