April 15, 2012 (KHARTOUM) –President Omer Al-Bashir of Sudan told a visiting Egyptian diplomat on Sunday that his country is not prepared to resume negotiations with neighboring South Sudan unless the latter does not withdraw its troops from Heglig.
- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr (L) in Khartoum on April 15, 2012 (GETTY)
Sudan has announced suspension of talks with South Sudan since the latter’s army, known as SPLA, wrestled control of the disputed area of Heglig on Wednesday, 11 April, following the worst fighting between the two countries since the south seceded to declare an independence state last year.
The military confrontations around Heglig have sparked international concerns and dealt a serious blow to already-stalled negotiations between Khartoum and Juba over partition-related issues, including oil exports, security, borders and citizenship,
In a meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister Mohamed Amru Kamil, who is visiting Khartoum in a bid to contain tension between Sudan and South Sudan, Al-Bashir said that Khartoum would not negotiate with Juba unless the SPLA pulls out of Heglig.
Al-Bashir stressed that Sudan reserves the right to respond to the occupation of Heglig in any manner that guarantees its security, sovereignty and stability, as reported by Sudan’s official news agency SUNA.
SUNA also said that Kamil had conveyed a message to Al-Bashir from Field Marshal Tantawi, the Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces which has been ruling Egypt since the fall of Mubarak regime last year.
Egypt’s top diplomat minister explained that his country’s efforts do not interfere with those of the African Union (AU) which has been facilitating talks between Sudan and South Sudan.
Kamil further added that he came to Khartoum to listen to the views of Sudan before moving to visit Juba today to meet South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Kiir and other South Sudanese officials have indicated no objection to resuming talks with Khartoum but demanded guarantees for the withdrawal of the SPLA from Heglig, including the deployment of UN troops in the area and an agreement on cessation of hostilities.
Khartoum, for its part, accuses South Sudan of trying to use Heglig as a bargaining chip to bring Khartoum to withdraw from Abyei, another disputed region that has been occupied by Sudan since May last year.
Meanwhile, Iran has added its voice to calls urging Sudan and South Sudan to exercise self-restraint and Juba to withdraw troops from Heglig.
Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Sunday that Tehran is urging South Sudan to withdraw forces from Heglig “as soon as possible and unconditionally.”
The Iranian official asked both countries to return to negotiations to resolve their disputes peacefully, and advised that “resolving the tension between the two states does not have a military solution.”
South Sudan said it occupied Heglig in response to attacks by Sudanese forces. Juba also disputed Sudan’s ownership of the oil-producing area which has been placed outside of the boundaries of Abyei under a 2008 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Heglig is vital to Sudan for it contains oilfields accounting for almost half of the country’s daily output of 115,000 barrels a day.
(ST)
Newer articles:
- Iran Urges South Sudan to Respect Sovereignty of Northern Neighbor - Fars News Agency - 16/04/2012 08:45
- South Sudan shows Sudanese POWs, as Khartoum urges to protect medical team - Sudan Tribune - 16/04/2012 07:50
- Puberty Changes Life in South Sudan - KFYR-TV - 16/04/2012 06:00
- S. Sudan army repulsed SAF from Kuek, says in control of Heglig - Sudan Tribune - 16/04/2012 06:00
- Khartoum denies South Sudan's claim on bombing Heglig's oil facilities - Sudan Tribune - 16/04/2012 06:00
Older news items
- PPAC Demands Deterrent Action against South Sudan - Sudan Vision - 16/04/2012 00:53
- South Sudan accuses north of attacking new front - The West Australian - 16/04/2012 00:00
- Al Jazeera Video: South Sudan captures prisoners of war from North - Sudan Tribune - 16/04/2012 00:00
- NCP Hails National Consensus Following South Sudan Aggression on Higlig - Sudan Vision - 16/04/2012 00:00
- Official: Sudan attacks S. Sudan - WYTV - 15/04/2012 23:40
Latest news items (all categories):
- UAE company agreed to loan $13B to South Sudan in exchange for oil - 27/04/2024 16:44
- South Sudan auditor flags spending of IMF funds - 27/04/2024 16:41
- UN Aid Trucks Held up at South Sudan Border - 27/04/2024 16:37
- South Sudanese comedians find laughs in painful past - 27/04/2024 16:34
- The DRC had the world's biggest military spend increase last year – and South Sudan was second - 27/04/2024 16:29
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan’s FM briefs Ethiopian PM about recent talks with Khartoum - 07/07/2013 00:04
- Sudan inflation turns up slightly to 25.7 pct in Dec - 19/01/2015 08:08
- Karunanidhi for Eelam, a la Kosovo, South Sudan - The Hindu - 19/04/2012 23:31
- UNICEF - Vacancy Announcement : HR Officer (NO-B) Fixed-term and Driver, GS-2, (FT), Juba - 08/05/2016 11:54
- South Sudan cancels independence celebrations over cash constraints - 05/07/2018 06:43
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 32374 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 21862 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 20746 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 17312 times
- With prisons full, South Sudan to introduce mobile courts to clear backlog of cases - 11/10/2012 11:29 - Read 14214 times