September 1, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese President paid growing tribute to the late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi after his arrival Saturday in Addis Ababa to take part in the state funeral on Sunday.

Zenawi and Bashir in a file picture by Reuters

In Khartoum Bashir termed the death of Zenawi as a big choc for him and the Sudanese people in general stressing that he had big hopes to achieve a regional integration with his support.

Speaking after his arrival to Addis Ababa, the Sudanese president said Zenawi is a big loose for the Sudan but the whole region also.

He further said Zeanwi was a great leader but “we are confident that the Ethiopian people are able to continue along the process of development and construction and reunification of Ethiopia to support the stability in the (east) African region,” he stressed.

Zeanwi, 57, died on 20 August in Brussels where he was treated for undisclosed illness.

Bashir supported him to topple the former communist regime in Addis Ababa which supported the former South Sudanese rebel, SPLM. But Zenawi managed to have balanced relation with the South Sudanese former rebel group even before the independence.

On the role of the late Prime Minister to facilitate the negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan President Bashir noted that Zenawi was trusted by all parties and played a crucial role in bridging the gaps and overcoming the obstacles.

Bashir also disclosed that he had a personal and strong relationship with Zenawi describing him as an “intimate and friendly” person. He added that he personally contributed to clear all the problems between the two countries.

“When a problem occurs we did not need for an external mediation or external meeting but personal relationships were the most important element to resolve problems and return to normal relations.”

Sudan and Ethiopia despite tensions along the border between farmers and because of cross-border attacks by Ethiopian rebel groups developed good relations and established a number of joint projects. Also regular meetings are held between the governors of bordering states from the two sides.

Khartoum also prevented the Ethiopian opposition and rebel groups who traditionally had an active presence in Sudan from working against the Ethiopian regime. However the Sudan remains open to the nationals the neighbouring country.

Bashir attempted many times to ease tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia but Asmara always asked that Addis should remove its soldiers from a disputed border town before to anything.

Khartoum rulers have also thought to establish a strong regional integration with Eritrea and Ethiopia but the project was prevented by the liberation war in Eritrea. Now the conflict between Addis and Asmara still obstructs such realisation.

(ST)

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article43776

September 1, 2012 (JUBA) – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday urged Sudan and South Sudan to expedite and finalize the oil agreement and other related financial arrangements to pave way for immediate resumption of oil production and transportation.

General view of the UN Security Council (photo Xinhua/file)

The 15-member body, in a wide-ranging statement read out by its President, Gérard Araud on Friday, said it welcome the temporary agreement reached on oil, further adding that both parties needed to move forward and reach a permanent deal, that will improve the sharply deteriorating economic conditions affecting each of countries.

South Sudan, early this year, shut down its oil production, after accusing its northern neighbour of confiscating its crude oil worth about $815m. Prior to the shutdown, oil revenues accounted for nearly 98% of the South Sudan’s annual budget.

Last month, however, the two countries, under the facilitation of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel reached a deal, which could see the young nation pay only US$9.10 for every barrel of oil produced in Upper Nile and 11.00 for every baril produced in Unity state. In addition Juba also offered US$3 billion as a transitional financial assistance to Sudan.

“The Council encourages the parties to swiftly finalize the details and the signing of the agreement and move forward with transparent implementation of the agreement, in order for production and transportation to resume as soon as possible,” the UNSC presidential statement reads in part.

Stephen Dhiew Dau, South Sudan’s energy and mining minister on Monday said he expects the two nations to sign a final agreement on oil, which runs through pipelines within the Sudanese territory, after they resume the next round of negotiations on 22 September.

Khartoum says however, the resumption of oil exportation is linked to the implementation of security arrangements deal and asks Juba also to explicitly renounce from any support to the Sudanese rebels.

ABYEI

In a related development, the UNSC further called on the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) to speedily finalize establishment of the Abyei Police Service, while underscoring the urgent need also to set up the Abyei Area Administration and Council.

The Council, in reference to its resolution 2046, said it remains particularly concerned about the two parties’ failure to reach a resolution on the status of the disputed oil producing region, as well as set up a temporary security and administrative arrangements for Abyei as agreed by the parties on 20 June 2011.

“The Security Council acknowledges that the majority of security forces has been withdrawn from Abyei Area by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, and reiterates its call on the Government of Sudan to redeploy the Sudanese Oil Police from Abyei without preconditions,” the UNSC statement noted.

It further called upon AJOC to speedily finalize the establishment of the Abyei Police Service, to enable it to take over policing functions throughout the Abyei Area, including the protection of the oil infrastructure.

The UN believes that some 120 soldiers are still present in Defra oil fields in the extreme north of the area. Khartoum said its troops are protecting the oil equipments as the Sudanese rebels are active in the area.

The Council also expressed its sadness at the untimely death of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, while recalling in particular the latter’s readiness to deploy 4,200 troops to Abyei through the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Zenawi is due to be buried on Sunday at a ceremony expected to be attended by various African leaders, including South Sudan’s Salva Kiir and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al Bashir.

BUFFER ZONE

Meanwhile, the UNSC, on the other hand, strongly urged the Government of Sudan to accept the African Union’s November 2011 administrative security map “without further delay” so as to facilitate establishment of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone and the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, as called for by the Council.

The Council, in the statement, further expressed regrets what it describes as the parties’ inability to finalize agreement on the Zone, the Mechanism and other critical issues.

(ST).

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article43775