South Sudan and Sudan are unlikely to reach an agreement before the UN deadline ends on Thursday.
Despite recent talks, the two states failed to find common ground on key issues such as security and oil.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Sabir Hassan, head of Sudan's economic negotiating team said,
“We have made some progress on oil and other issues, but I don’t think we will reach conclusion or agreement before August 2.”
The UN Security Council had warned of sanctions should the two states fail to follow a roadmap drawn out by the African Union.
Hassan said,
“Sanctions will not make the South export its oil through the north, and we already have sanctions. How do sanctions work in this case?”“We are wanting to see how they’re going to impose a solution on us,”