South Sudan hopeful of reaching deal with Sudan over post independent issues - Sudan Tribune

June 3, 2012 (JUBA) - South Sudan on Sunday expressed optimism in regard to the ongoing negotiations chaired by the African Union High Implementation Panel on Sudan and South in Ethiopian Capital of Addis Ababa.

A senior official told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the delegation from Juba has absolute powers to negotiate and resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries in order to avoid the region becoming a battleground for natural resources.

“It has been our wish to live in peace and embrace meaningful bilateral relations and build trust with all our neighbours including the Republic of Sudan. This was why the government and people of South Sudan under our president Salva Kiir Mayardit decided to invite president [Omer Hassan al-] Bashir to Juba in April”, Ex-Western Bahr el Ghazal State Governor, Mark Nyipuoc said on Sunday.

Nyipuoc said that Kiir’s invitation to his Sudanese counterpart in April conveyed a desire to work together with the international community to help resolve disputes between the two countries over borders, disputed areas, citizenship, security and oil fees.

Bashir’s visit was cancelled by Khartoum after a border conflict over the oil-rich area of Heglig brought the two nations to the bring of a return to all-out conflict. Nyipuoc expressed hope that the current talks, which resumed last week, would bear fruit.

"In African culture people do not eat alone while leaving the neigbour to starve. People share whatever little that is there. South Sudan is no exception. This is why our government decided to offer $2.4 billion cash to Sudan to close [the] financial gap created by secession. This was out of good will because we know Sudanese people need us and we also need them", he said.

South Sudan took with it 75% of oil-production when it seceded but halted exports in February after Sudan began siphoning off crude as part a transit fee dispute between Juba and Khartoum.

The oil stand off is seriously affecting the economies of both countries. Nyipuoc said that South Sudan should get wider recognition for its offer of financial assistance to Sudan to help it adjust to the loss of oil revenues.

Nyipuoc, who is a member of the powerful political bureau of South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM), accused the international community of siding with Sudan over April’s border conflict, during which South Sudan’s army (SPLA) occupied Heglig for 10 days.

The SPLA said it was forced to respond after repeated attacks launched from the area. Officials in Juba were shocked by the negative diplomatic reaction to their actions, with the UN Secretary General describing their actions as "illegal".

Nyipuoc said that the international community new that Sudan, and not South Sudan, was the aggressor.

Heglig, or Panthou as it is known in South Sudan, "has never been part of the north but Khartoum took it and used it as recruiting centre for allied militia groups and also made it a military base to stage attacks on areas further south but the world made no effort to hold Khartoum responsible. They only saw our response", said Nyipuoc.

The senior official, who holds a parliamentary assignment as chair of members affairs in the Juba-based National Legislative Assembly, as well as a chair of the country’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in his home state of Western Bahr el Ghazal, made the remarks in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

(ST)