Both Sudan and South Sudan have signed deals on trade, security and oil in a move that has been lauded as easing escalating tensions between the two nations.
The deals, penned at African Union brokered talks, were hailed by AU mediator Thabo Mbeki as significant, saying,
"We are convinced that what has happened, which culminated in signing of the agreements, constitutes a giant step forward for both countries."
ICC wanted-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir stated it was a "historic moment for building peace" commenting,
"We will continue talking with the same spirit to solve the other problems such as Abyei and the disputed borders."
The failure to agree on the disputed borders has remains a strong point of contention between the two sides, with Princeton Lyman, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, telling Reuters,
"This has to be a very high priority. If they keep fighting it will be probably hard to secure the borders."
EJ Hogendoorn, the Horn of Africa director for the International Crisis Group also commented that the signing of deals alone cannot guarantee future peace. Stating that “enormous frictions remain”, he said,
“This basically kicks the can down the road,”
“Oil production will give both governments some breathing room, since their economies were collapsing, but unless there is a resolution to Abyei.”
