South Sudan's Kiir to visit Sudan ahead of oil stoppage deadline
KHARTOUM/JUBA | Sun Sep 1, 2013 2:41pm EDT
(Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir will visit Sudan on Tuesday
for talks with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, officials said on Sunday, as
the long-time foes seek to avert a halt of vital cross-border oil flows.
Diplomats hope what is only Kiir's second visit to Khartoum since South
Sudan's secession in 2011 will help build trust between the neighbors, who
fought one of Africa's longest civil wars that ended in 2005.
Both countries agreed in March to defuse tensions and resume oil exports
from landlocked South Sudan through the north, its only route to market.
But Sudan has threatened to halt oil flows by September 6 unless Juba cuts
ties with rebels operating across the disputed and unmarked border. South
Sudan denies providing them any support.
Kiir and Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin will travel to Khartoum to
discuss implementing the March agreement with Bashir, South Sudan's foreign
ministry spokesman Mawien Makol Arik said.
Sudan's state news agency SUNA also reported the planned visit, saying both
heads of states would discuss bilateral cooperation. It gave no more
details.
The African Union has stepped up efforts to prevent the production shutdown,
starting an investigation of the Sudanese allegations.
South Sudan relies heavily on oil exports and the shut down could have
serious economic and political implications.
Diplomats doubt Sudan will actually close the two cross-border pipelines as
it needs South Sudan's payment of oil transit fees. Khartoum has several
times extended a deadline threatening a halt of oil flows.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Andrew Green in Juba; Writing
by Ulf Laessing; editing by David Evans)