South Sudan president writes to Sudanese counterpart over bilateral relations

July 18, 2015 (JUBA) – In a letter to his Sudanese counterpart, South Sudanese president Salva Kiir reiterated his commitment to work for the improvement of bilateral relations and to clear the current differences between the two countries.

According to the letter seen by Sudan Tribune, President Kiir wishes Sudanese president and his government prosperity and reiterates assurance of commitment of his government and the people of South Sudan to continue to working towards establishing and fulfilling the vision of the two viable and prosperous states living side by side in the region.

“On behalf of the people of South Sudan and on my own behalf, I congratulate you, brother field Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, president of the republic of Sudan, your government and the Sudanese people on the day of successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan”, reads in part the letter dated 16 July, 2015, bearing the presidential seal and heading paper with presidential signature.

The head of state said he “very much values and appreciates with all sincerity the role Sudanese president and his government plays in the peace process to ending the ongoing conflict” with the armed opposition fighters allied to his former deputy in the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and government, Riek Machar.

Kiir further said “South Sudan and Sudan have inseparable historical and cultural ties” enabling the two countries to surmount whatever difficulties they may be undergoing through.

The South Sudanese president did not specify in his letter the difficulties the two countries were going through. But observers say he was referring to the current political and security situation in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and the over one decade conflict in the western region of Darfur, in which his government is allegedly involved through its support to the armed opposition groups there

Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Friday said a meeting would be held in early August with his South Sudanese counterpart Barnaba Marial Benjamin to discuss the implementation of cooperation agreements signed in September 2012.

Ghandour said stressed on the need to establish the buffer zone and deploy the joint security patrols. Khartoum says Juba suspended the implementation of the security agreements and withdraw its forces from the joint border.

The letter makes no reference to the recent Sudanese decision summoning South Sudanese ambassador to Sudan, Mayen Dut Wol, over allegations linking the country to the Sudanese rebels and negative media coverage.

The Sudanese officials asked Mayen Dut Wol to explain what they consider ‘unfair coverage of Sudan in the South Sudanese media’ citing the role the Sudanese government is playing in the conflict as well as allegations attempting to hold Sudanese government responsible for failure in delivering services.

The spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry in Juba said his government was not in any way involved in media coverage about Sudan, citing freedom of the press in the country as the reason for which the authority could not intervene on coverage relating to Sudan.

“Sudan and South Sudan are not just neighbouring countries but we are developing good relationship in support of the cooperation agreements,” said Mawien Makol, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Makol added media in South Sudan is free and everything that they write is based on the report that they get and there is no intention by the media of South Sudan to write against South Sudan.

(ST)