Khartoum opens embassy in Juba as South Sudan approaches separation
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March 19, 2011 (JUBA) – The north Sudan government has opened an
embassy in Juba, the capital of South Sudan when it becomes
independent on July 9 following an overwhelming vote for secession in
a referendum in January.
JPEG - 32 kb
A Southern Sudan 2011 Taskforce meeting chaired by South Sudan vice
president Riek Machar in Juba. March 15, 2011 (ST)
The self-determination exercise was provided for in the 2005 peace
deal that ended 21 years of civil war between north and south.
Khartoum’s decision to open its embassy in Juba was announced on
Friday by the minister of information, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, during
the Southern Sudan 2011 Taskforce meeting chaired by the Vice
President, Riek Machar Teny.
Marial, who presented highlighted priorities on international
relations on behalf of the minister of regional cooperation, Deng Alor
Kuol, said Khartoum has already established a consulate which it will
upgrade to a full embassy after July and has posted a diplomatic
representative in Juba.
South Sudan has been developing a foreign policy in anticipation of
full independence in July that will see the regional autonomous
government upgraded to a national sovereign independent state which
will determine its own foreign policy. Currently, Sudan’s foreign
policy is a decided by the national government in Khartoum of which
the South’s SPLM has been a partner since 2005.
The emerging independent South Sudan is aiming to develop its
immediate priorities as well as medium and long term strategies before
it becomes officially independent in July.
Machar who chairs the taskforce, charged with the responsibility to
prepare the region for post-independence period, urged the various
working groups to accelerate efforts to refine their respective
documents before July. The taskforce includes around 20 ministers and
representatives of other political parties, civil society
organizations and foreign experts.
One of the priorities by July is to prepare the region to decide
whether to adopt the international treaties that Sudan has already
signed and whether to introduce others. The region is also preparing
itself for membership of international organizations.
Sudan is a member of the Arab League but South Sudan, with its largely
African and Christian identity, is not expected to look to for
membership. However, the South is expected to become a member of the
United Nations and Africa Union.
The taskforce has also highlighted strategies on how to establish and
strengthen diplomatic relations with regional neighbors and entities.
On the economy and natural resources, the taskforce highlighted the
importance of reiterating and implementing a policy that would
guarantee food security by developing an agriculture based economy.
As South Sudan’s economy is almost entirely dependent on non-renewable
oil revenues which currently constitute 98% of the region’s wealth,
using the oil revenues to diversify the nation’s economy in various
sectors by investing in developing the country’s infrastructures,
agriculture and human resources were reiterated as important.
The meeting discussed its future oil sector strategy including
resource assessment and establishment of resource accounts as a base
for government planning. These included ensuring efficient management
of the petroleum sector, maximizing its value, addressing
environmental protection while upholding social corporate
responsibility and ensuring efficient contracts and management of
contractors, among many others.
Ensuring transparency in the oil sector was said to be important.
South Sudan claims that it has not received the 50 percent of revenue
it is due as agreed in the 2005 peace deal. Khartoum denies this is
the case.
The taskforce said that the alleged underpayment of oil revenue was
due to a lack of transparency in the oil industry.
Establishing a central bank and defining a currency for an independent
South Sudan while putting in place contingency planning for currency
options, payments and accounting systems and strengthening bank
operations and in supervision for oversight of local banks were also
reiterated.
The two disengaging regions of north and south Sudan have expressed
the need to maintain their current economic ties, especially in the
oil sector, which officials say will be a basis for maintaining
security and diplomatic cooperation. Most of Sudan’s known oil
reserves will depart with the south by July while the north will
continue to host the pipelines, refineries and export terminals.
(ST)
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