S. Sudan’s Kiir seeks meeting with Sudanese president
September 12, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudanese president Salva Kiir has written a letter to his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir, requesting an official meeting to discuss bilateral and mutual matters, his office disclosed on Friday.
The letter, whose exact date and content remains unknown, reportedly reiterated Juba’s commitment to fully implement the terms of the 2012 cooperation agreement, pledging to strengthen bilateral and mutual matters with its northern neighbour.
The planned meeting, Ateny said, will not take place should the Sudanese government chose a period that coincides with president Kiir’s scheduled trip to attend the United Nations general assembly occasion happening within 10 days.
“If the government of Sudan responds to the letter within ten days, it will coincide with the planned visit of the president to the United States to participate at the general assembly of the United Nations,” presidential aide said.
“So I think the visit will take place after returning from the general assembly meeting,” he added.
If approved, it will be Kiir’s fourth official visit to Khartoum after his country seceded from the latter in July 2011. The visit, observers say, would likely review progress in the implementation of the joint agreements between the two countries.
“Kiir would be keen to ask Sudanese government to severe ties with the rebels allied to his former deputy, Riek Machar, and officially appeal Sudanese government support to pressure the latter to accept the intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) protocol of agreed principles as the basis of negotiation in the upcoming talks slated to resume next week in neighbouring Ethiopia,” an analyst observed.
Sudan, on the other hand, is expected to use the visit as an opportunity to press on the necessity for implementation of all the agreements, specifically the determination of the zero line at the border between the two countries. Khartoum could also use this meeting as an avenue to ask Juba to severe ties with Sudanese rebels and further explore the role and presence of the Ugandan army in the South Sudanese conflict.
ROCKY RELATIONS
South Sudan broke away from Sudan in July 2011 taking with it nearly 75% of the oil reserves two countries previously shared. A number of unresolved post-secession issues such as the north-south border demarcation, oil, Abyei have seen a rocky relation between Juba and Khartoum.
The stronger ties, which initially existed between the two countries, are growing weak and far below the level of current relations between Juba and Kampala, analysts say.
Military officers from the two neighbouring countries have often traded accusations over territorial disputes, sparking tensions along the undemarcated borders in recent weeks, with Juba accusing Khartoum of allegedly training and hosting within its territory rebel fighters loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar.
However, Sudanese government and military officials have dismissed Juba’s claims.
It is also noted that the government sponsored SMC website resumed publishing regular reports about Juba support to Sudanese rebel groups and statements from South Sudanese rebels hostile to Salva Kiir government.
(ST)