South Sudanese chief negotiator Pagan Amum welcomed yesterday the resumption of negotiations with Sudan in Addis Ababa on June 19, after receiving an official invitation from the Joint Implementation Mechanism of the African Union.
He said ‘South Sudan is ready to negotiate and is unconditionally committed to UN Resolution 2046’, but said ‘Khartoum has been dragging its feet by trying to delay negotiations in addition to continuing to violate South Sudan’s territory’.
He said Sudanese forces remain in Abyei despite the decision for both sides to withdraw, accusing Khartoum of committing fraud, with the African Union continuing to turn a blind eye to Khartoum’s violations, whether relating to border laws, or the road map put forward by the UN, essensially violating the AU itself.