South Sudan-Sudan talks fail, African Union exhorts urgent action
President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Omar al-Bashir met last week in Addis Ababa to attend an African Union Peace and Security Council meeting. The two heads of states held a face-to-face meeting on putting into effect the cooperation agreement brokered by the African Union last September.
Emmanuel Lowila, South Sudanese Minister of Presidential Affairs, said talks between the two presidents yielded little results and were hampered by new conditions imposed by the Sudanese leader.
Emmanuel Lowila, South Sudanese Minister of Presidential Affairs, briefs the press after arriving from Addis Ababa, Januaray 29.
The two Presidents discussed several issues pertaining the implementation of the cooperation agreement. But the President of Sudan came with a new condition on Abyei. They demanded a sharing of fifty-fifty. That was not there before,” Lowila told journalists at Juba International Airport on Tuesday.
Speaking shortly after Kiir’s team arrived from the Ethiopian capital, he said there were conflicts about the Mile-14 area, a disputed grazing region bordering the two nations. They widened it (Mile 14) extensively saying it should start from Abienom up to Raza,” Lowila said.
The failure of the talks between the two heads of states reflects ongoing suspicion between the two countries, which appears to outweigh the pressing need for agreement to avert ongoing economic crisis.
Both countries have been in decline since South Sudan shut off oil production early last year following a spat with its northern neighbour.
The cooperation agreement signed in September included resolutions on several post secession issues: Abyei, oil and border demarcation. These issues have been at the heart of conflicts since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011.
However, at the Peace and Security Council meeting last Friday, the AU voiced deep concern over the snail pace of implementation of these agreements. At the meeting chaired by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, the AU urged immediate commitment and action by the two countries.
The Peace and Security Council stresses that both parties unconditionally implement all the agreements they have concluded in their entirety, and with utmost urgency,” said a press release from the Security Council.
