The Sudanese embassy in South Sudan's capital Juba has issued a statement defending the warning by the Council of Ministers in Khartoum on Thursday to close the borders with South Sudan and to treat South Sudanese in Sudan as 'foreigners'.

Thursday's announcement in state media in Khartoum that the cabinet was considering such measures marked a sharp escalation in rhetoric and a departure from the tone since January, when relations appeared to have been improving. 

The embassy's statement, shared with Radio Tamazuj by deputy ambassador Magdi Mofadel, explained that Sudan had agreed with South Sudan in January this year to normalize relations and to review economic arrangements, and that President Salva Kiir issued orders for the withdrawal of South Sudanese army (SPLA) units from the borders to at least five miles south of the common borders.

President Omar al Bashir responded with a decree on 27 January opening boders with South Sudan, as well as river transports.

However, more than 50 days since Kiir's presidential decree, “the decision on the withdrawal of the army has not been implemented yet,” said Mofadel.

Additionally, he said, “None of the joint committees has been activated specially the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), chaired by the ministers of defense of the two countries. The JPSM is the mechanism which addresses the security concerns of the two parties especially the accusations on harbor and support to the rebel movements.”

The Sudanese diplomat additionally pointed out that Sudan's oil minister visited Juba on 3 February, describing it as a gesture of goodwill and cooperation. “In that visit, each party presented its proposal on how to review the economic arrangements. The matter is under consideration by the relevant authorities in the two countries.”

Magdi Mofadel further alleged that South Sudan has repeatedly postponed meetings of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism. Ever since a meeting in October 2015 in Addis Ababa, the JPSM has failed to convene for a next scheduled meeting in Khartoum.

“The Embassy reminds that South Sudan’s Government support to the Sudanese rebel movements is recognized by the region and the international community who introduced an article in this respect in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) Article 1.6 of the Chapter 2 of the ARCSS, which deals with the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements,” Mofadel added.

He went on to quote from the peace agreement, which says that the warring parties shall disarm, demobilize and repatriate all “non-state security actors,” including SPLM-N, JEM, SPLA-Minawi and SLA-Abdulwahid.

“In the light of the fact that the Government of South Sudan has not taken any steps in implementing what was agreed on and continued to harbor and support Sudanese rebel movements, the Government of the Sudan found itself compelled to issue the decision taken by the Council of Ministers,” added the diplomat.

South Sudan's presidential spokesman Ateny Wek, however, denied that the country is supporting any Sudanese armed groups. In an interview on Friday, he told Radio Tamazuj that Sudan should produce evidence of its allegations.

File photo: Ambassador Magdi Mofadel

Related:  

Sudan threatens to treat South Sudanese as foreigners, close border (18 March)