S. Sudan president to visit Khartoum next Tuesday: official

October 31, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudanese president Salva Kiir will travel to the Sudanese capital for talks with his counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir, next Tuesday, an officials said on Friday.

According to reports released in Khartoum, Kiir delayed his visit initially scheduled for Saturday due to the preparations for a summit of the IGAD heads of states that will take place in Addis Ababa.

“The president of the republic will next Tuesday travel to Khartoum. He will be accompanied by a high level government delegation,” said Mawien Makol, the foreign affairs spokesperson.

Kiir will reportedly be accompanied by the ministers of foreign affairs, security as well as petroleum and mining. Also expected in Khartoum is Justice Deng Biong, a senior government official who handles the file of the disputed border region of Abyei.

The two heads of state, Makol stressed, will discuss a number of issues for the mutual benefits of the two nations, with deliberations on Abyei, bilateral ties and issues of rebel support likely to dominate the Khartoum meeting.

“We think providing support to armed opposition is not in the best interest of the two countries. There are other better approaches to use and our government sticks to mechanisms and other processes to discuss and resolve issues which require the attention of the two countries,” Makol exclusively told Sudan Tribune.

“Our vision is to have two viable states working together side by side for the common interest,” he added.

Khartoum accuses Juba of supporting rebel groups in South Kordofan state, an allegation the latter denies.

(ST)