Sudan's Deal, & Bragging to ICP, Echo in UNSC But No Output, P5 Split 4/1?
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 12, 2013 -- After Sudan and South Sudan reached a 17
page "Implementation Matix," the UN Security Council did not mark it with a
press statement or even the lowest form of Council output, press elements.
Instead, multiple sources tell Inner City Press, focus shifted to things
Sudanese Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said upon his
arrival, in a bright white suit, at the Security Council.
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudans1daffasday031213.html> Inner City
Press, "Last week, they were pushing hard for a Presidential Statement to
condemn and deplore Sudan on retarding and impeding. Look what happened. The
success and achievement and accomplishment reached today, this morning, by
signing the the implementation matrix of the nine agreements proves that
there are some people here, few, who are hasty... I don't want to be tough
on them. We need patience. We need resilience. We need wisdom."
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman went in, then came back out, adding to Inner
City Press, "Imagine if that was adopted."
Inside the Council, Inner City Press is told, these quotes were read out.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudans1daffasday031213.html> The article had
"Surreal" in the headline; the theory was, every Daffa has his day.
As recounted later on the record by Ambassador Susan Rice then Russia's
Vitaly Churkin, Council president for March, Russia proposed a press
statement to congratulate Sudan and South Sudan for their agreement.
The US objected, wanting to include the issues of Abyei and of Blue Nile
and Southern Kordofan and Sudan blocking or delaying negotiations with the
SPLM-North.
Russia shifted down to press elements, not official in any way, on the
theory that would give more flexibility, Churkin told Inner City Press. But
the US still objected.
According to Churkin, all of the Permanent Five members of the Council
except the US would have agreed, to the press elements.
Notably, when France's Gerard Araud exited Inner City Press asked him
about the prospects for the draft Presidential Statement.
Araud said the US will circulate a new drafts, with "slight amendments."
But others expect more significant amendments, especially with the press
elements blocked.
Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice about Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman's
comments, and about whether the African Union mediation team might not bear
some blame for twice moving the date of the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile
talks.
Ambassador Rice said she'd leave it for Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman to
speak for the government of Sudan. She said the mediators had set two dates
so far in March, but Khartoum refused to show up.
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, when he took to the microphone, called it a
historical day, saying it is nearly spring, it is already the Russian
Spring. That DOES start on March 1. But the phrase has another resonance.
Inner City Press soon have more, on the Matrix and the Matrix itself.
Watch this site.
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Sudans' Implementation Matrix Sets Deadlines for Oil & Abyei, PRST Awaits?
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 12, 2013 -- The actual "Implementation Matrix for
Agreements" between Sudan and South Sudan which threw the UN Security
Council into turmoil on March 12
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudans1splitbragicp031213.html> is 16 pages
long and puts many due dates off into the future.
Inner City Press has obtained a copy of the Matrix and puts it online here.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudansouthsudanmatrix031213icp.pdf>
The portion most reported in international media is point 9 of 9, on oil
"and related ecnomic matters."
In 14 days South Sudan is to instruct oil companies to re-establish oil
production, and Sudan to re-establish processing and transportation. But the
processing and transportation agreements won't be done for 150 days (Section
10.8).
Also in 14 days, the UNISFA force commander is to report on withdrawals.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary General named another (Ethiopian) force commander
for the all Ethiopian UN Peacekeeping mission in Abyei.
The Abyei Police Service is to be constituted in 30 days. A Joint Central
Banks Committee is to be established in five days. Much longer term, it is
said, Sudan will take all necessary action to reach the HIPC decision point,
"consultations required with the IMF, World Bank and African Development
Bank" (Section 9.6).
For the Joint Border Verification Mechanism, land will be allocated in
GokMachar in 16 days, and in Malakal and Buram in a month.
And if any of these things don't happen? Will another Presidential
Statement <
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudans1splitbragicp031213.html> or
resolution be ready in the Council? Watch this site.
Received on Wed Mar 13 2013 - 13:18:06 EDT
