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Sudan says Mbeki’s proposal contains no new elements

18 June 2013
In News

June 17, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said today that proposals of the head of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki, to resolve the recent crisis between Khartoum and Juba were made prior to Khartoum’s decision to halt flow of South Sudan’s oil through Sudanese territory.

(L-R) Pagan Amum, South Sudan chief negotiator, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, former president of Nigeria Abdulsalam Abubakar, Chief African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki, former Burundi president Pierre Buyoya and President of Sudan Omer Hassan al-Bashir meet during talks in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa September 24, 2012. (REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri) — (L-R) Pagan Amum, South Sudan chief negotiator, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, former president of Nigeria Abdulsalam Abubakar, Chief African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki, former Burundi president Pierre Buyoya and President of Sudan Omer Hassan al-Bashir meet during talks in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa September 24, 2012. (REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri)

Over the weekend the Sudanese government announced it has informed the AUHIP of its acceptance of the proposals.

The NCP’s spokesperson, Yasser Yossif, said in press statements on Sunday that the AUHIP’s proposal focused on three points including non-harboring of rebel groups by South Sudan, building the demilitarized zone and halting hostile media escalation.

Yossif further held the government of South Sudan responsible for impeding the mission of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission (JBVMM).

He reiterated Khartoum’s commitment to Mbeki’s plan, saying that it represents a suitable platform for resuming the implementation of the cooperation agreements.

Tensions between the countries have escalated last week when Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir ordered the closure of pipelines carrying oil from landlocked South Sudan.

Sudan also announced that it will put on hold cooperation agreements signed with South Sudan last year on a wide range of issues that included citizenship rights, security issues, banking and border trade.

Last March the two sides also agreed on the implementation schedule for these accords.

(ST)