Khartoum to Reply to Juba's Accusations of Rebel Support

Discussions to resolve the differences between Sudan and South Sudan made headway in Ethiopia. President Bashir and Kiir are here with former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the AU mediator., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2013

Khartoum to reply to South Sudan’s accusations of rebel support

August 18, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government would give a written response to the accusations of support to rebel groups that Juba filed to the African Union (AU), a member of the joint security committee in Khartoum said on Sunday.

The announcement was made by the rapporteur of the joint security committee from the Sudanese side, Al-Moez Farouq, following a meeting with the members of the AU’s Ad Hoc Investigative Mechanism (AIM).

The three-member African body handed to the Sudanese side the accusations received from Juba over Khartoum’s alleged support South Sudanese rebels led by David Yau Yau in Jonglei state.

Farouq said the visiting mechanism will transmit the reply of the Sudanese side and the recommendations of the joint security committee to the African Union commission and the African Union High-Level implementation Panel (AUHIP), chaired by Thabo Mbeki.

In statements to the official state news agency SUNA, he stressed that they will give a written response to the accusations raised against Sudan. He further added that the South Sudanese members of the joint security committee will arrive in Khartoum on Monday.

The Sudanese official who described the meeting with the African mechanism as “very important” told reporters that the meeting with the visiting AIM members tackled all issues and concerns presented by Sudan.

He also pointed out that the committee will visit some of the areas mentioned by Sudan and South Sudanin in their complaints of support to rebel groups.

One AIM member told reporters that they felt the seriousness of the two parties to reach a solution, emphasising that this would allow for proposals to resolve disputes between the two parties.

The Sudanese army’s chief of military operations, general of division Eimad Adawi, on Sunday reiterated Sudan’s commitment to cooperate with the African investigation team, which is expected to terminate its operation within six weeks.

“We are committed to whatever mechanisms approved by the African Union and we will work with all parties”, he said, stressing that security arrangements are the key step for the establishment of good-neighbourly relations and cooperation between the Sudans.

On 22 July, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUSC) launched the investigation body as Sudan threatened to stop the flow of South Sudanese oil, saying Juba continues to support the Sudanese rebel groups in breach of the cooperation agreement signed in September 2012 and the implementation matrix sealed in March of this year.

Faroqu said that two delegations of the security committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday chaired by the directors of intelligence services.

The South Sudanese delegation chaired by the director of SPLA military intelligence Maj-Gen Paul Mac Bol will arrive to Khartoum on Monday.

The South Sudanese foreign minister is also due to arrive in the Sudanese capital next week ahead of an official visit by South Sudanese president Salva Kiir at the end of the month to discuss security concerns and other pending issues with Sudanese officials.

(ST)