Leaders from Sudan and the newly formed South Sudan have set deadlines to resolve outstanding issues of tensions between the two and have committed to resolving their problems peacefully.
On his first official visit to Sudan, South Sudan President Salva Kiir met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, to discuss problems between the two nations, including the future of the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei and how to share the much needed oil revenue between the two nations.
Kiir told reporters in a joint news conference that,
The visit to Khartoum comes amid the backdrop of violence along the Blue Nile and in South Kordofan between Sudanese forces and rebel movements who were previously aligned with South Sudan.
Khartoum has been accused of indiscriminately attacking civilians in South Kordofan prompting human rights groups to call for an “independent human rights monitoring presence in the region”.
South Sudan has also called on the UN Security Council to set a deadline for Sudan’s troops to withdraw from the Abyei region, an act the Sudanese have refused to do since they occupied the area in May.
Following 22 years of civil war, which left some two million people dead, South Sudan declared independence from the north on July 9th.
On his first official visit to Sudan, South Sudan President Salva Kiir met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, to discuss problems between the two nations, including the future of the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei and how to share the much needed oil revenue between the two nations.
Kiir told reporters in a joint news conference that,
"My government is ready to discuss solutions for all pending issues. I return today to Juba to ensure that we reach solutions to all pending issues. Let’s sign an agreement as soon as possible."Bashir has said that several committees had been set up to deal with the issues and that deadlines had been set to resolve the disputes.
The visit to Khartoum comes amid the backdrop of violence along the Blue Nile and in South Kordofan between Sudanese forces and rebel movements who were previously aligned with South Sudan.
Khartoum has been accused of indiscriminately attacking civilians in South Kordofan prompting human rights groups to call for an “independent human rights monitoring presence in the region”.
South Sudan has also called on the UN Security Council to set a deadline for Sudan’s troops to withdraw from the Abyei region, an act the Sudanese have refused to do since they occupied the area in May.
Following 22 years of civil war, which left some two million people dead, South Sudan declared independence from the north on July 9th.
