S. Sudan assembles new post-secession negotiation team
November 25, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudanese leader Salva Kiir has issued a presidential order appointing new heads and members of various committees for the ongoing post-secession negotiations with neighbouring Sudan.
The president, in his order, also appointed the ministers Kuol Manyang (defense) to lead the security committee, Michael Makuei Lueth (information) to lead the border committee and Stephen Dhieu Dau (petroleum) as head of the economy committee.
Foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, Martin Elia Lomoro (cabinet affairs) minister, Aggrey Tisa Sabuni (finance), Paul Mayom Akec (water resources and irrigation) and Jemma Nunu Kumba (electricity and dams) form part of Nhial’s team.
The two Sudan’s under the facilitation of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), are engaged in post-session talks on issues such as border and security, the economy, oil, citizenship status and the disputed Abyei region.
Security delegations from the two countries led by Gen. Siddiq Amer and Maj. Gen. Mac Paul will meet in Khartoum on Wednesday 27 November instead of Tuesday 26 as it was announced previously.
Different sources say South Sudanese security services have effectively stopped its support to the Sudanese rebels. However the two parties need to deploy the joint patrols and delimit the buffer zone and its zero line.
A lawmaker who asked not to be named said Kiir was “encouraging tribalism” by trying to garner support from his community, citing the composition of those he appointed to be part of the post-session discussions with Sudan.
“The fact that all the four heads of committees appointed by the president, to represent a country of 64 ethnic groups come from the same ethnic group, was a clear manifestation that Kiir was insensitive about fighting tribalism,” the MP told Sudan Tribune in an interview on Monday.
“Kiir should be mindful about unity of the people beginning with the government and party leaderships. Being the president of the country, commander-in-chief of the army and chairman of the ruling party SPLM is a huge responsibility,” he said, adding that the newly founded South Sudan was not ready for tribal conflicts.
The lawmaker, however, appealed to the SPLM leadership to cultivate the spirit of nationalism when making decisions in the party in resolving the ongoing differences.
Meanwhile, the fifth session of the joint security committee meeting between the two Sudans are due to begin Wednesday in Khartoum. It will be co-chaired by Gen. Siddiq Amer who chairs Sudan’s committee and his South Sudan counterpart Maj. Gen. Mac Paul.
Mac Paul and his delegation arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday.
The fifth session is due to discuss outcome of the previous meeting with regard to speeding up implementation of the Cooperation Agreement’s Matrix in accordance with the directives of the last summit held between Sudan’s Omer Al-Bashir and his South Sudan counterpart, Salva Kiir.
(ST).