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Peacetalks Sudan and South Sudan adjourned; joint border mission resumes

The peace negotiations in Addis Ababa between Sudan and South Sudan have been adjourned until the 5th of July. They have not reached an agreement on any pending topic that caused the armed conflict. But the two parties have agreed to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission during the coming days. These missions were meant to prevent illegal border crossings by smugglers. How that will work for the contested border areas remained unclear.

June 28, 2012 ADDIS ABABA

The peace negotiations in Addis Ababa between Sudan and South Sudan have been adjourned until the 5th of July. They have not reached an agreement on any pending topic that caused the armed conflict. But the two parties have agreed to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission during the coming days. These missions were meant to prevent illegal border crossings by smugglers. How that will work for the contested border areas remained unclear.“The negotiations have been adjourned to enable the negotiators to consult with their principals, Presidents Salva Kiir Mayardit and Omar Al-Bashir”, the AU stated this morning (Thursday). The AU, leading the negotiations, observed a ‘positive attitude’ demonstrated by the two parties which have been fighting over oil resources and border issues.

The negotiators will resume their talks in Addis Ababa next week on July 5. According to the chairperson of the African Union High Implementation Panel, Thabo Mbeki, the parties agreed to implement the immediate security provisions of the AU Peace and Security Roadmap. The two Parties have agreed to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission during the coming days. In the past months both countries have accused each other of violent attacks across the borders.

Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, praised both countries for the positive attitude they demonstrated during the negotiations. He said: “The parties have demonstrated great maturity and seriousness in their approach to the negotiations, mindful of the timeframes contained in the Roadmap and UN-security council resolution 2046. This can only be good for the citizens of South Sudan and Sudan.”

The negotiations are brokered by the African Union and led by the High Implementation Panel headed by Thabo Mbkei and are backed by the UN Security Council. Peace talks between Sudan and South Sudan are about Sudan’s withdrawal from the disputed Abyei region. the alleged support by South Sudan for rebels in Sudan (Nuba Mountains and southern Blue Nile), monitoring of a ceasefire agreement and resolution of the main dispute about the fee for transportation of oil from South Sudan through Sudan.