April 24, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The president of South Sudan Salva Kiir pleaded the case of his country with China saying that Khartoum has declared war on Juba as he started a five day visit to Beijing.
- China’s President Hu Jintao (R) gestures to his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit during an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 24, 2012 (Reuters/Petar Kujundzic)
"It [this visit] comes at a very critical moment for the Republic of South Sudan because our neighbor in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan," Kiir said during his meeting with China’s president Hu Jintao.
"I have undertaken this visit because of the great relationship that I value with China. China is one of our economic and strategic partners," Kiir added.
Last Friday, the Sudanese army managed to recapture the oil-rich region of Heglig after South Sudan occupied it for 10 days sparking the worst military conflict between the two sides since the country split into north and south in July 2011.
On Monday witnesses and officials in South Sudan said that Khartoum air force carried out bombing raids in Unity states that fell on a market in Bentiu.
The escalation comes as a reflection of failure of Khartoum and Juba to settle through negotiations a number of key post-independence items and particularly the issue of how much the landlocked south should pay to transport its oil through the north’s pipelines.
China has been the largest single importer of oil from Sudan prior to the south’s breakup. The latter took 75% of the country’s oil when it seceded.
But earlier this year South Sudan suspended its oil production after Sudan started taking part of the oil as payment in kind to make up for what it called unpaid fees.
Last February, Juba ordered Liu Yingcai, the head of the Chinese-Malaysian oil consortium Petrodar, out of the country and accused him of not honoring the terms of reference of the memorandum of understanding which they signed in December.
The latest Chinese customs data show crude imports from Sudan fell nearly 40 percent in January and February compared to a year earlier.
China made a failed attempt last December to mediate between the two countries on the oil issue. Following that Beijing remained largely silent while calling on Khartoum and Juba to continue dialogue.
But last week, Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir threatened to crush the "insect" government of the South, and said the time for talks was over.
The Chinese president appeared careful not to take sides on the Khartoum-Juba row and urged continuation of dialogue.
"The urgent task is to actively cooperate with the mediation efforts of the international community and halt armed conflict in the border areas," Hu was quoted as telling Kiir during a meeting in Beijing.
"China sincerely hopes that South Sudan and Sudan can become good neighbors who coexist in amity and good partners who develop together," Hu added.
Kiir and Hu witnessed signing of several agreements between the two countries that cover humanitarian aid, solar energy and financial cooperation.
Gum Bol Noah,an official from Salva’s office, said China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) was willing to offer South Sudan technical support if Juba decided to build an alternative oil pipeline, making it less reliant on the pipeline running through Sudan.
Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin confirmed to Dow Jones China’s interest in financing the project.
"The Chinese are already there and we will continue with them, no problem" Benjamin said.
"Everybody will apply and we will see who has the capacity and who can generate a good consortium of companies to create money" he added.
Kiir attended the opening ceremony of the South Sudanese embassy in Beijing yesterday and will meet Vice-Premier Li Keqiang today.
(ST)
Newer articles:
- Opinion: World must step in to avert South Sudan crisis - CNN International - 25/04/2012 16:47
- South Sudan president cuts short trip to China amid dispute with Sudan - CNN International - 25/04/2012 14:48
- AU gives Sudan, South Sudan three months to sign deal - Ahram Online - 25/04/2012 14:43
- South Sudanese Leader Shortens China Trip - Voice of America - 25/04/2012 14:36
- South Sudan leader cancels part of China trip - Fox News - 25/04/2012 10:37
Older news items
- China morning round-up: Hu's South Sudan plea - BBC News - 25/04/2012 06:23
- South Sudan president: Sudan has 'declared war' - BusinessWeek - 25/04/2012 06:00
- South Sudan president: Sudan has 'declared war' - Boston.com - 25/04/2012 04:46
- South Sudan in China's economic sights - The Age - 25/04/2012 00:00
- Syria; Sudan/South Sudan; Women, peace, and security; IPO initiative; and more - UN Dispatch - 25/04/2012 00:00
Latest news items (all categories):
- UNDP and the Office of the Vice President Launches the Women and Youth Leadership Program in South Sudan - 14/02/2025 11:37
- The Grave Blunders And The Paradoxical Ways In Leadership Sector - 14/02/2025 11:32
- ADF approves $153.66 million for Uganda-South Sudan electricity interconnection project - 13/02/2025 20:48
- Rwandan peacekeepers in South Sudan get UN service medals for their service - 13/02/2025 20:44
- Afreximbank seeks to claw back US$657mn debt from South Sudan - 13/02/2025 20:30
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS - 01/07/2014 10:26
- South Sudan: With support from WHO over 200 000 people receive cholera vaccine in flooded hotspot areas to mitigate the risk of cholera outbreaks - 03/02/2022 10:14
- Chollo Community Council - Letter to H.E. Festus G. Mogae, Implications of implementation of the 28 States in Upper Nile State - 15/02/2016 19:37
- What is Expected from South Sudan Constitution? - 21/02/2011 00:00
- UN returns to rebel-held South Sudan with new 'nimble' strategy - 23/01/2018 09:12
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 73016 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22397 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21623 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 19503 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19256 times