Arab league reiterates its solidarity with Sudan - Sudan Tribune

June 2, 2012 (KHARTIOUM) — The Arab League announced its full solidarity with Sudan in its dispute with South Sudan and welcomed the resumption talks between the two parties under the auspices of the African Union mediation team.

Arab League secretary general Nabil al-Arabi (C) arrives to attend an Arab ministerial committee meeting in Doha on June 2, 2012. (Getty)

The Arab foreign ministers held Saturday an extraordinary meeting in the Qatari capital ,Doha, to discuss Sudan and Syria issues. Sudan requested an Arab position after Heglig’s capture by the South Sudanese army on 10 April of this year.

The Arab League Council, in a statement released on Saturday, welcomed the resumption of talks between the two parties in Addis Ababa and stressed its support for the African efforts to facilitate negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan.

The meeting also urged the South Sudanese government to stop its support to Darfur rebel groups which is seen as hindrance to the African-Arab efforts to end Darfur conflict.

The communiqué also asks Juba to not back the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North which fights Khartoum in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

It further called on South Sudan to implement the security agreements signed with Sudan, and to support the Egyptian efforts to address the crisis between the two countries.

Delegations from the two parties resumed talks on 27 May as the UN Security Council issued a decision demanding the cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of South Sudanese troops from Heglig. The resolution also demanded to enforce security deals they signed including an accord on Abyei.

A joint political and security committee headed by defense ministers of the two countries will meet on Monday in Addis Ababa. The delegations are expected to tackle the implementation of Abyei including the formation of a joint administration, a border monitoring mechanism and the creation of a buffer zone along the border.

The Arab foreign ministers asked the General Secretariat of the League to cooperate with the United Nation over the establishment of a neutral fact finding mission to assess the human losses and economic damages caused during the South Sudan occupation of Heglig last April.

The meeting also praised Algeria, Qatar and Saudi Arabia for their financial support to Sudan. The three countries paid to Khartoum their shares in the one billion dollars support the Arab League decided to grant to Sudan in an summit held in Sirte, Libya two years ago.

(ST)