Sudan, South Sudan say to settle disputes peacefully
Sat Oct 8, 2011 10:09pm GMT
KHARTOUM Oct 8 (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan will resolve their
disagreements through dialogue, Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and
southern counterpart Salva Kiir said, but gave no hint of any progress after
several meetings on Saturday.
Kiir arrived on Saturday in Khartoum on his first visit since South Sudan
seceded in July from its former civil war foe.
Diplomats hoped Kiir's two-day visit would ease tensions that have grown
since the split and end a stalemate in talks.
The two countries have failed to agree how to share oil revenues and other
assets, divide up debt, calm the joint border area and agree what to do
about the disputed region of Abyei.
"We confirm the principle not to go back to war but to be good neighbours
and leave the bitterness of the past behind," Bashir said at a reception
open to the media.
Khartoum wants to develop trade relations and will keep its Red Sea port of
Port Sudan and Nile river access open for exports from the landlocked south,
he said, citing agriculture as example of cross-border cooperation.
Kiir said the era of war had ended with the 2005 peace deal.
"We are committed as you are committed not to go back to war," he said in a
speech. "We are committed to find solutions."
Both countries set up five committees to strengthen ties, especially on
trade cooperation, according to the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC), a news
website linked to the northern government.
North and south also want to discuss Sudan's external debt, northern finance
minister Ali Mahmood told SMC. Juba has refused to take $38 billion debt
incurred when the country was united.
The two sides reached an agreement last month to facilitate travel and trade
after much of the joint border was closed in the run-up to southern
independence.
But talks over how to share oil revenues, the lifeline for both economies,
have been stalled for months. South Sudan took most of the country's oil
production but needs northern export facilities and Red Sea access.
Juba will need to pay a transit fee but has not paid anything since July, in
the absence of an agreement, diplomats say. Both countries have been hit
hard by an economic crisis with inflation spiralling.
The African Union and former South African President Thabo Mbeki have tried
to mediate but little has been resolved.
Khartoum has accused Juba of supporting armed opposition groups fighting the
army in northern border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, a charge
South Sudan denies. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Ulf Laessing;
Editing by Louise Ireland)
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Received on Sun Oct 09 2011 - 16:35:58 EDT