Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan summoned to high level peace and ... - Press TV

In January 2012, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and President Omar El Bashir of Sudan met in Addis Ababa Ethiopia to discuss the implementation of the 9 agreements they had signed on 27th September 2012.

These concerned the final status of oil rich Abyei region and other 6 conflicted areas. They agreed their states would follow a time plan drafted by experts to guide them on how to find solutions to their conflicts.

However, another meeting held in Ethiopia a week later by joint peace and Security Council from the two countries failed to agree on the time modalities.

Following this delay a high level peace and security meeting held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia summoned the two presidents to be part of the discussion to forge the best way forward to implement the agreements.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Sudan's Omar al-Bashir held bilateral talks at the African Union ahead of the Council meeting.

The council meeting chaired by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya insisted that the two presidents implement with as soon as possible some of the agreements since a delay in solving the existing border issues between the two states is not only risky as far as lasting peace is concerned but also costly, since oil production in Abyei has stalled.

On Mali the high level meeting gave African states only one week to declare their intentions to Send troops to join the Africa-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).This the council said would give ample time for making logistical preparations for all troops.

South Sudan has insisted that it cannot resume the transfer of oil through Sudanese pipelines until the outstanding agreements are implemented. It shut down oil production in a pricing dispute with Sudan last year that has damaged both countries' economies.

The African union high level implementation panel has been tasked to report back on the progress of Sudan and South Sudan after 3 months on the implementation of the signed agreements.

However, wether by then any positive move will have been taken remains unpredictable basing on previous delays.