Pretoria — President Jacob Zuma has joined the international community in expressing his deep concern following the recent military confrontation between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA).
The military confrontation took place in the disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan.
This recent military confrontation has the potential to worsen the humanitarian crisis in the affected region, leading to further civilian casualties, and also threatens to precipitate a resumption of conflict between Sudan and South Sudan said the President.
He urged the two parties to once again demonstrate the exceptional leadership and commitment to peace that was shown when they signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, which brought an end to the civil war that had ravaged the region.
"The tremendous display of the will of the people was a moment we all stood in awe of in January 2011 when the referendum in South Sudan went ahead without incident.
"The honour displayed by Presidents Omar Al Bashir and Salva Kiir during the inauguration of South Sudan in July 2011 gave hope to all of us on the Continent that peace and mutual respect is achievable." He said.
He also urged Sudan and South Sudan not to allow this incident to derail the gains made thus far.
The President also commended the two parties for their courage and resolve in concluding a Non-Aggression and Cooperation Pact on 10 February 2012, which makes provision for the two States to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He urged that this pact be implemented in full.
He called on both parties not to undertake any action that would undermine the security and stability of the region and each other's territories, adding that President Al Bashir and President Salva Kiir resume their scheduled talks and ensure that the Summit in Juba takes place as planned.
"The Summit would be a strong gesture and have a calming and restorative effect on the relations, as did the visit of President Bashir just days before the referendum."
He called on both States to utilise the upcoming session of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism to defuse tensions along the border, and to continue working within the context of the negotiations carried out under the auspices of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).
Copyright © 2012 BuaNews. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
Newer articles:
- Local media under pressure in South Sudan - Bikya Masr - 01/04/2012 22:08
- Push to bring Sudan, South Sudan into crisis talks - Capital FM Kenya - 01/04/2012 20:03
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58
- South Sudan Says Khartoum Stalls Peace Talks While Waging War - Voice of America - 01/04/2012 17:56
- South Sudan: Khartoum attacks again - News24 - 01/04/2012 17:55
Older news items
- South Sudan: Khartoum attacks again - News24 - 01/04/2012 17:55
- Jerusalem: South Sudanese refugees protest deportation - Jerusalem Post - 01/04/2012 15:48
- Fear of new war stalks South Sudan border state - Times of India - 01/04/2012 06:38
- Sudan and South Sudan accuse each other of border attacks - Chicago Tribune - 31/03/2012 23:13
- Sudan and South Sudan accuse each other of border attacks - Reuters - 31/03/2012 22:45
Latest news items (all categories):
- علاقة عقيمة من طرف واحد - 12/04/2024 01:25
- Press Release - International poetry initiative seeks poems on African experiences of migration - 04/04/2024 23:28
- South Sudan oil revenue dwindles - 31/03/2024 00:46
- The decline of Equatoria and emergence of Jieng tribal power in South Sudan - 30/03/2024 23:10
- Both SPLM-IG's No-extension and SPLM-IO's Extension Proposals are all means for No 2024 Elections - 24/03/2024 23:14
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- Thousands Flee Escalating Conflict in S. Sudan's Unity State - 12/05/2015 13:56
- South Sudan National Police, UNPOL To Map Out Reforms - 18/08/2013 01:43
- Activists launch campaign to put S. Sudan on world map - 20/10/2013 08:58
- South Sudan gunmen 'kill 28' in Ethiopia - 15/03/2017 08:50
- Refugees complain of food scarcity at Wedwil Refugee Settlement in N. Bahr el Ghazal - 31/10/2023 03:13
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 30834 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 21842 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 20727 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 17215 times
- With prisons full, South Sudan to introduce mobile courts to clear backlog of cases - 11/10/2012 11:29 - Read 14197 times