The Sudanese government has rejected South Sudan’s request to postpone further negotiations between the two countries for at least three months following Juba’s claim that they have new evidence to support their claim on border demarcation.
The South Sudanese government claim to need more time to analyse the evidence with specialist support in order to before they can present it in response to the African Union’s mediation proposals.
South Sudan’s Ambassador to Sudan, Mian Dut, claimed, “We extended our request for postponement for an additional three months in order for us to submit our new proposal to a group of border experts at the African Union after the emergence of new evidence which our government has submitted to experts for more analysis, research and follow-up.”
However, Rahamallah Mohammed Osman, the Undersecretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry, criticised this request during a press statement. “We are rejecting the extension of the date fixed for the South Sudanese government to respond to the African Union mediation proposals, which was scheduled to be on the 15 of February this month.”
Osman pointed out that the African Union mediation team will consult with the Sudanese government’s negotiation team, headed by Idris Abdel Gadir, on the matter before adding that previously agreed-upon deadlines should be met in a timely manner.
Dut claimed that Pagan Amum Ukech, the head of South Sudan’s delegation and who drafted the letter, is yet to hear from the AU. “We have not yet received a reply from Mbeki.”
File photo: Salva Kiir (L) and Omar al-Bashir