AU & IGAD launch probe on Sudan-South Sudan alleged support to rebel groups
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July 22, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The African Union (AU) and the East
African regional bloc, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
(IGAD), on Monday launched an investigation committee to probe
accusations traded by Sudan and South Sudan of support to rebel
groups.
JPEG - 27 kb
(From L-R) Major-Gen (Retired) Julius Olakunle Sunday Oshanupin,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tedros Adhanom, AU Commissioner for Peace
and Security, Ramtane Lamamra at the launch of the two commitees to
investigate accusations of support to rebel groups and to determine
border centreline on 22 July 2013 (Photo by the African Union)
The Ad Hoc Investigative Mechanism (AIM), which is comprised of three
senior military officers, will be heading to Khartoum from Addis Ababa
on Tuesday and then to Juba.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, the current chair of IGAD’s
Council of Ministers and, Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Tedros Adhanom,
said that IGAD hopes "that this mechanism will resolve that
longstanding problem, the allegation by both parties of hosting rebels
against the other."
In September 2012, the two countries signed nine cooperation
agreements aiming to end tensions and build the needed confidence
between the two parties before to handle issues like Abyei and border
demarcation. Oil exportations and stoppage of support to rebel groups
topped the deals.
Following the signing of implementation mechanism in March 2013,
Khartoum sent messages and then ministers to Juba to discuss rebels’
issue before to decide to stop, starting from 7 August, the flow of
South Sudanese oil through its pipeline saying Juba breached the deal.
"The AIM was established in response to a proposal made by the Chair
of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan and South Sudan,
former President Thabo Mbeki, to address persistent allegations made
by Sudan and South Sudan", said a communiqué released by the AU and
IGAD on Monday.
The African Union called on the two sides to cooperate with the
committee stressing that the mistrust between them has jeopardized the
implementation of the Cooperation Agreement.
Khartoum last week repeated that it stop oil exportation at the
announced date and Juba reduced its oil output to 160,000 barrels per
day from 200,000 barrels a day.
In Khartoum the Sudanese foreign ministry confirmed the arrival of the
AIM, but observers noticed that the official media ignored its
launching.
While in Juba, foreign minister Nhial Deng Nhial, welcomed the
expected visit of the African military delegation and pledged that his
government will "give them whatever support required from us as the
government of the republic of South Sudan to accomplish their task".
In a statement to Sudan Tribune on Monday Nhial further confirmed that
AIM will fly first to the Sudanese capital Khartoum and then come to
Juba, without giving the exact date where the team will visit his
country.
Khartoum says the rebel groups of Darfur, Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains
are harboured and supported by the South Sudanese government. In
return, Juba points out that the ongoing rebellion led by David Yau
Yau in Jonglei is backed by the Sudanese authorities.
AIM three members are Brigadier-General Luis Inacio Muxito, Defense
and Security Advisor to the Chair of the AU Commission, who heads the
committee, Major-General (Retired) Julius Olakunle Sunday Oshanupin,
and Brigadier-General Jean Baptiste Tine.
Khartoum accuses South Sudan government of supporting Sudanese
Revolutionary Front rebel alliance while South in return accuses North
of backing insurgents in Jonglei state in order to disrupt Juba’s
planes of oil search in the Eastern State.
BORDER MECHANISM
The African Union also announced Monday the launch of another
committee tasked with the determination of the centreline for the
demilitarized zone on the common border between the two countries.
The two sides still diverge on the delimitation of the centreline from
where they have to withdraw their troops ten kilometres north for the
SPLA and south for the Sudanese army because they disagree on the
plans of some disputed areas on the border.
The African Union and IGAD urged the two Sudans to respect " respect
all aspects of the Security Agreement and to ensure that all its
forces are redeployed out of the (buffer zone)".
The two organisations further "strongly urged" Khartoum to not shut
down the pipeline underlining that such decision will would " cause
irreparable damage to the integrity of the pipeline and adversely
affect the economies of both states".
The joint statement also called on both states to refrain from any
unilateral action, while these two processes are underway, "that may
jeopardize the successful completion of their work".
The mechanism to investigate support to rebel groups is expected to
complete its work in 6 weeks.
(ST)
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