The Deal Sets Mechanisms to Resolve Future Disputes Sudan Vision

South Sudan to Disengage Divisions 9, 10; Oil Companies Directed to Prepare for Oil Pumping
Khartoum – President of the Republic, Field Marshal Omer Al Bashir arrived in Khartoum airport yesterday evening accompanied by Sudan's delegation to the Addis Ababa peace talks.
Upon arrival, Al Bashir addressed the mass rally, affirming that the deal represents an end to all disputes between the two countries because there is a concrete base and mechanisms to resolve any future disputes.
He added that the relations of the two countries' people will become as they were before secession, and the borders will be flexible to accommodate both sides' interests.
He disclosed that the deal included all outstanding issues and is the actual start of peace between Sudan and South Sudan. He pointed out that President Salva Kiir was honest and keen to sign the deal, expressing seriousness in its implementation.
Al Bashir emphasized Sudan's friendly relations with all its neighbouring countries, South Sudan, Chad, Libya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eritrea and Central African Republic. He lauded the great efforts of the AUHIP, the late Ethiopian Premier, Meles Zenawi, and the government and people of Ethiopia to achieve peace between the two countries.
Staff Lieutenant General Abdul-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the Minister of Defense, announced that Sudan and South Sudan agreed to disengage Divisions 9 and 10 in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. He added that technical mechanisms will meet when the necessary arrangements to carry out the decision are made.
Speaking on a radio show on Friday, the minister said Sudan and South Sudan reached agreements on oil, the economy, trade, borders, banking transactions and the demarcation of (five areas). “We hope they will be settled within five months.”
Hussein said the Abyei issue is complicated and will take more time due to its procedures; however, both countries have agreed to continue dialogue on it.
“The provision of political will in the countries and sincere implementation of the agreement is necessary for relations between the countries to enter a new stage characterized by understanding, cooperation and friendship deeply rooted in the countries,” the minister said.

Omer Al Bashir

Speaking on security arrangements, the minister said Khartoum and Juba reached a non-aggression deal that included a 10 km buffer zone on each side of the border. He added that they agreed on specific mechanisms to monitor and investigate allegations and violations by both parties in order to prevent the governments from giving logistic support and accommodation to rebel movements. Both sides must immediately withdraw from occupied lands and activate the agreed-upon monitoring mechanisms.
Hussein said the countries made special arrangements for the Mile 14 region which constituted a problem on the African Union’s map. The issue was concluded by stipulating it will retain its prior status as a disarmed, peaceful region of intercommunication.
The head of Government’s delegation to the Addis Ababa negotiations, Idriss Mohamed Abdel-Gadir, said oil companies in Sudan and South Sudan will be ordered to immediately resume pumping oil via Sudan; all details regarding oil transit through Sudan have been resolved.  He noted that Ministers of Trade and central banks of both countries will meet soon to arrange to implement trade between the countries that has been agreed upon. Abdel-Gadir added that the political and security committee will also meet soon to make final arrangements to implement a security deal between the countries. He said the sides agreed on financial matters related to oil transit fees, the administrative aspect of transferring money from central bank in Juba to central bank in Khartoum and transitional financial arrangements for the estimated US $3028 million that Government of South Sudan will pay in three years.
Al-Zubair Ahmed Al-Hassan, a member of the negotiating delegation, said that oil transit fees were set at $15 per barrel to be paid within a period not exceeding 40 days from the arrival of the barrel in Port Sudan when Government will send invoices. He added that the two sides agreed on $9,1 for Nile Blend and $11 for Petrodar blend as treatment fees at Jebelain and Heglig. He stated that in the case South Sudan does not pay fees within 60 days, Sudan reserves the right to extract its dues from South Sudan oil. The agreement also specified ways to transfer these amounts to any accounts in the currency Sudan demands.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the agreement between Sudan and South Sudan on many decisive issues. In a White House statement White House, Obama said the agreement represents a crucial development to resolve outstanding economic and security issues in Sudan and South Sudan.
British Secretary of Foreign Office William Hague also welcomed the agreement, regarding it a “mark of identification” towards resolving differences that will build constructive, good, neighbourly relations.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said in a statement that the Sudan and South Sudan accords "provide vital elements in building a strong foundation for a stable and prosperous future between the two countries."
The UN Chief also praised President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan "for demonstrating the statesmanship that made a comprehensive agreement possible, and for having once again chosen peace over war."
Qatar also hailed the Sudan and South Sudan accords. A source at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the accords will contribute to solving the remaining issues between the countries. The sources commended the efforts of Ethiopia and the African Union to make the agreement happen.
In addition, Egypt congratulated the peoples and Governments of Sudan and South Sudan. While speaking before a consultative forum on Sudan and South Sudan attended by UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon, the Head of African Union Commission Jan Ping held during UN General Assembly meetings in New York, Egyptian Foreign Minister said: “This day is a great day in the history of the two countries.”

By Al-Sammani Awadallah, 23 hours 10 minutes ago  

South Sudan-Sudan agree on 9 issues but not border | World | The Sun Herald

"ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — The leaders of Sudan and South Sudan have reached nine agreements but did not work out the issues surrounding the contested Abyei region or the demarcation of their shared border.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir said the two countries would sign a "protocol of collaboration" on Thursday.

Atif Kiir, a South Sudan spokesman, said late Wednesday that Sudan President Omar al-Bashir and Kiir agreed on economic issues and a buffer zone between their borders to allow oil exports.

Kiir said that oil exports - which South Sudan shut down earlier this year - would resume and that only "technical work" remains.

South Sudan broke free from Sudan in July, 2011 in a referendum that has put an end to one of the region's deadliest and longest conflicts."

'via Blog this'

IN POST MELESE ZENAWIE PERIOD JUBA PACT COULD DIM KENYA’S REFINERY PROSPECT

The plan of Zenawie and Kenya to cut Sudan out  and keep Somalia in turmoil is cleaning out after the death of the notorious dictator's  death. 

The presidents of Sudan and South Sudan have resolved to end their differences over oil production, a move that could rule out Kenya’s plans to erect a new refinery in Lamu to refine South Sudan oil. The two presidents, Omar al-Bashir and his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir, who met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week, are understood to have agreed to set up a framework that would see South Sudan resume pumping oil to the north for refining at Port Sudan. Both declined to give any details to the media, although they acknowledged that their respective technical teams had instructions to complete a deal by next week.

“We look forward to celebration very soon,” Salva Kiir said as he left the conference centre in Addis Ababa.

Juba stopped pumping petroleum in January after accusing Khartoum of stealing its oil, leaving the two countries’ economies limping. The two nearly went to war in April over differences over their common border, oil revenues and ownership of the disputed region of Abyei where much of the oil is located.

As a way out, Juba struck a deal with Kenya to establish a refinery and a pipeline to Lamu. That development now appears unlikely - the UN has threatened sanctions if the current talks fail.

The two Sudans separated in July 2011, with Juba inheriting two-thirds of the region’s oil while Khartoum retained the processing and export facilities. The deal with Kenya was bound to cripple Khartoum’s economy, hence the talks. To complicate Kenya’s chances, its current oil exploration activities in the Turkana area have yielded too little oil to justify the construction of a refinery in Lamu.

Sudanese rebel held areas are to receive UN aid flights

An agreement has been reached to allow aid to be flown into the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions of Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people are critically short of food.

The UN, African Union and Arab League signed the deal with SPLM North rebels.

But one senior rebel leader, Yassir Arman, told the BBC that the flights required Sudanese government approval.

Mr Arman said permission for aid to the two areas had been blocked by Khartoum for nearly a year.

The agreement was signed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa late on Saturday.

It calls for the immediate establishment of an assessment team to produce a report on conditions in Blue Nile, and in the Nuba Mountain region of South Kordofan within two weeks.

The SPLM North has agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities to enable the assessment to take place and for the aid flights to get under way.

Tens of thousands flee

Mr Arman said that between 300,000 and 400,000 people were in urgent need of aid.

Sudan doctor risks all for border refugees

: "A cross-border operation from Ethiopia and South Sudan would have been more effective than this operation.

"This agreement puts the issue of access and sending assistance in the hands of Khartoum, and this is the main weakness of this agreement."

The BBC was unable to reach the Sudanese delegation in Ethiopia for comment.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled across the border into South Sudan to escape hunger and fighting.

Mortality rates in one refugee camp in South Sudan, Jamam, are nearly double the threshold for an emergency, the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres has warned.

This means that about eight children are dying every day in the camp, which houses about 40,000 of the 120,000 people that have fled the conflict in Blue Nile state.

The medical charity said people were dying of preventable diseases because of "horrific living conditions".

Latrines have overflowed, contaminating water sources, because of heavy rains.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan a year ago - as part of a deal to end years of civil war.

Sudan “kills three” in alleged Blue Nile air attacks - Sudan Tribune

July 30, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Three civilians have been killed and dozens injured in a series of airstrikes conducted by the Sudanese army in the border regions of Blue Nile, the region’s rebels said on Monday.

According to Arnu Loddi, the spokesman of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) which has been fighting the government in the region since last year, the attacks launched on Friday, 27 July, and Saturday, 28 July, had targeted Ora-Balila, Magaf and Wadaka Nellei villages in the states, killing three civilians and injuring about 20 in total.

Attempts by Sudan Tribune to reach the spokesperson of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for comments were not successful.

The report comes as the government and the SPLM-N started, in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa this week, first indirect negotiations under African Union (AU) mediation to discuss ways of allowing humanitarian assistance to the conflict-affected population in Blue Nile and South Kordofan after both sides agreed to a United Nations (UN), AU and an Arab League’s initiative in this regard.

These are the first talks between the two parties since the government disavowed a deal it signed with the SPLM-N in June last year following the eruption of the armed conflict between the two sides in South Kordofan before it spread to Blue Nile two months later.

Since then, Khartoum has been blocking humanitarian assistance from reaching SPLM-N controlled areas, citing concerns that any aid might be used by the rebels.

But the UN Security Council (UNSC) ordered Sudan in May as part of a resolution concerning its conflict with South Sudan to “cooperate” with the SPLM-N in order to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict in the two regions.

The UNSC warned to impose non-military sanctions if provisions of its resolution are not met before 2 August but sources close to the talks say this is unlikely in light of the hitherto irreconcilable positions of the two sides especially on political and security issues.

The UN says about 200,000 refugees have fled the dire humanitarian situation in the two states into neighboring Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Sudan says S. Sudan treating wounded Darfur rebels-AFP

Sudan says S. Sudan treating wounded Darfur rebels

By Abdelmoneim Abu Edris Ali (AFP) – 1 hour ago  

KHARTOUM — Darfur rebels wounded in the latest fighting with Sudanese troops have gone to South Sudan for treatment, the army said on Tuesday, as Khartoum pushes Juba to end alleged backing for rebels.

The army and insurgents gave conflicting accounts of Monday's fighting, which came while Sudanese negotiators at fragile peace talks in Addis Ababa turned down South Sudan's proposal for settling oil fees and other critical issues by a United Nations-imposed deadline of August 2.

Khartoum said security is a key priority and issues such as South Sudan's "support" for rebels need to be settled.

In a statement carried by the official SUNA news agency, Sudanese army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad said the government killed more than 50 fighters of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and wounded a large number of others.

The fighting erupted just inside South Kordofan state near southeastern Darfur.

Saad said a "big number of vehicles were seen carrying the injured elements of the rebels for treatment in South Sudan."

Casualty claims are difficult to verify in the region, where access is restricted.

JEM on Tuesday denied that any of its fighters had been killed in the battles or that wounded had been moved across the undemarcated border.

Rebel spokesman Gibril Adam Bilal said his forces had control of the Tabaldi oil field as well as the Karkade and Tabun areas since Monday evening.

Sudan accuses South Sudan of working with the JEM and of backing insurgencies in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

The South denies supporting the rebels but suspected JEM fighters were seen alongside its troops during border fighting between Sudan and South Sudan in April.

The JEM denies any presence in South Sudan, which accuses the north of backing insurgents in the South as well.

The UN has called on both sides to halt any such support, under a May 2 Security Council resolution which ordered a ceasefire along the border.

The resolution gave the two sides until Thursday of next week to settle critical issues, including a dispute over oil, unresolved after the South's separation in July last year.

At African Union-led talks in the Ethiopian capital, Sudan on Monday rejected South Sudan's proposal of a higher oil transit fee and an $8.2 billion financial deal.

"We think security is a prerequisite," Mutrif Siddiq, a member of Khartoum's delegation, told reporters.

South Sudan separated with about 75 percent of Sudanese oil production.

But the export infrastructure remained in the north and the two sides' failure to agree over how much the South should pay to send its crude through northern pipelines has been at the heart of tensions between the two countries.

In January, Juba cut off all oil production.

Pagan Amum, South Sudan's chief negotiator, said on Monday that his government was ready to resume oil exports if "reasonable" transport fees are agreed.

He outlined a proposal whereby Juba would pay up to $9.10 a barrel to move its oil through Sudan.

Khartoum earlier demanded as much as $36 per barrel, which includes tariffs and transit, processing and port fees.

South Sudan said that "in the interest of peace" it was offering Sudan a multi-billion-dollar financial package over three years, including a cash payment and debt forgiveness to help fill the massive fiscal gap Sudan reported after it lost its main source of hard currency when the South separated.

Dismissing the offer, Siddiq ruled out any comprehensive deal by the August 2 deadline but said he remained hopeful in the longer term.

In Monday's fighting, army spokesman Saad said government troops repulsed the JEM at Karkade and another area, Um-Shuwaika, destroying 25 of its vehicles.

He made no mention of fighting around an oil field but said the army lost "a number of martyrs" in the action with rebels whose goals were dictated "by foreign circles."

JEM claimed it killed "tens" of government troops.

On Saturday, South Sudan accused Khartoum of a new cross-border air raid and said in response it would negotiate only through AU mediators, not face-to-face.

Sudan said it retaliated inside its own territory to an attempted JEM attack which Siddiq called a "stab in the back" by Juba.

Sudan, South Sudan leaders meet over disputes | World News | Bradenton Herald

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Aid agencies should have access to help internally displaced people fleeing from violence in Sudan and South Sudan, a top U.N. official said Sunday, one day after the leaders of the two nations met in a closed-door session.

The African Union summit called on the neighboring countries to resolve disputes over border and security issues by the Aug. 2 deadline set by the United Nations Security Council.

"The council calls on the two countries to speedily conclude agreements that would allow for the reopening of the border, facilitate the resumption of trade and support the livelihoods of border communities," said the AU's Peace and Security Council.

Leaders of both Sudan and South Sudan have addressed the meeting.

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudan President Salva Kiir met late Saturday in a closed door meeting which lasted an hour, according to a senior official in the South Sudanese mission who declined to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the meeting publicly.

The official did not disclose details of the talks, which were the first meeting of the two presidents since a border dispute brought their nations close to war in April.

The African Union panel has been facilitating talks between the two sides since May 2010.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan last year after a peaceful vote, but violence has flared along the border. In addition, South Sudan shut down its oil industry after accusing Sudan of stealing some of the oil that it must ship through Sudan's pipelines. That decision has crippled both countries' economies.

The U.N. official, Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliason, said in a speech to the African Union on Sunday that hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan and South Sudan are "in grave need of assistance."

"Aid agencies should have the funds and access they need to assist internally displaced persons and refugees," he said.

Aid groups have decried the decision by Sudan to block access to its southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where thousands of refugees are fleeing war between Sudan's army and rebels fighting the government.

In this image made from video, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, left, greets South Sudan's President Salva Kiir at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, July 15, 2012. Delegates at the African Union summit are likely to focus attention on continuing hostilities between Sudan and the year-old state of South Sudan.

AP Photo

The AU-led talks so far unsuccessfully tried to ease fragile security issues between the two states, and resolve the status of the contested oil-rich region Abyei.

The talks were squashed in April when the two sides came close to a war after deadly border conflicts near the Heglig region.

Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries' negotiating teams resumed talks on Thursday in Ethiopia's regional city Bahir Dar.