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The Sudan and South Sudan are heading towards a new chapter in their bilateral relations that may lead to peace and stability and to an end of an era of trading accusations that followed the secession of the South. The recent summit meeting in Addis Ababa of Sudan’s President Omar al-Beshir and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit paved the way for an accelerated implementation of deals, including the joint cooperation agreement, concluded by the two countries on September 27 last year.

Abyei Issue:-The summit that was called by Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn and wound up last Saturday made a breakthrough in the contested Abyei issue that could avert external pressures by referring it to the forthcoming African Union summit and there from to the UN Security Council, a matter which could invite external interventions, as warned by AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Chairman Thabo Mbeki.Mbeki said at a press conference he called at the meeting that the summit succeeded in discussion of all topics on the agenda, including Abyei and the border issues as well as implementation of the concluded agreements, including the joint cooperation agreement and the security arrangements

The Senior AU mediator noted that the two leaders displayed willingness and seriousness for implementing the deals and that he was convinced of this. As was evident in the closing communiqué that was signed by Thabo Mbeki and Desalegn, who the current IGAD President, the two parties succeeded in reaching agreement for implementing the provisional administrative arrangements for Abyei. Those arrangements provide for formation of an administration, a legislative council and a police unit for the region were constituted a bone of contention due to distant positions. The two parties also agreed to convene another summit for finding a final settlement of the Abyei question after formation of those bodies and agreeing on matters related to the referendum on the future of the region. The Government of Sudan remains committed to Abyei Protocol and to the referendum stipulated in that Protocol and deems it necessary that all the region’s citizens, to be defined by a joint commission to be set up in accordance with the Protocol and the law, should take part in the referendum to determine whether the region should remain part of the Sudan or be annexed to South Sudan

The Sudan has rejected an earlier proposal by Thabo Mbeki on grounds that it denied Abyei Commission the right to determining the citizenship gauges and determined those gauges by himself and proposed that the chairman for the Commission should not be from either party.The Disengagement:-As regards the security arrangements and disengagement which were a source traded accusations, the AU mediation made South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit write an official undertaking to the AUHIP for bringing into force his instructions for disengagement of the SPLM/A-N from South Sudan after Kiir he had reiterated in the summit that the disengagement was implemented. Unconditional implementation on a timetable:-According to the closing communiqué, the achievements by the summit included agreement that the AUHIP starts forthwith formulate a timetable to be signed by the two leaders and obligate the two parties to immediately begin unconditional implementation of the concluded agreements. The summit set January 13 as a date for the meeting of the political mechanism in the Ethiopian capital. The Demilitarized Zone:-As regards the demilitarized zone, the two sides agreed on its creation immediately in concert with the security arrangement. The two leaders also agreed that any complaints or concerns related to the disengagement be tackled by the joint political mechanism in accordance with the agreed upon security arrangements. The summit discussed implementation of the security arrangements provided for in the joint cooperation agreement that was signed on September 27 last year under which the two sides pledged commitment to cessation of military, political and media hostilities and to implementation of all previously reached arrangements and agreements in addition to immediate withdrawal of their forces to the international borders.The Borders:-The two presidents directed that the necessary measures be made for demarcation of the parts of the borderline in accordance of the agreement they reached last September which provides for carrying out the demarcation along the January 1st 1956 as stipulated in 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and on the basis of the joint report that was submitted by the joint technical demarcation committee to the two leaders during the transitional; period.Presidents Beshir and Kiir decided to meet together for resuming negotiation on the disputed five areas (Dabbat al-Fukkhar, Al-Migainis, Kaka, Mile 14 south of Bahr al-Arab and Kafia Kenge) upon receiving a report by the team of the border experts and after the two governments are through with their discussions in this connection. The two parties earlier agreed on assistance by African experts to present them with an unbinding opinion; in case of rejecting this opinion, the two sides have to choose one of two internationally recognized options for peacefully resolving border disputes so as to reach a settlement to the contested areas. It is taken for granted that the sovereignty over an areas remains as it is at present pending resolving of the dispute over each of the five areas (four areas are presently under the Sudanese sovereignty while the fifth one, Kaka, is under South Sudan’s).A Successful Summit- Khatib:-The Sudanese Government, according its negotiating delegation member Sayyed al-Khatib, described the summit as successful

Khatib added that the two leaders managed, in two days, to achieve steps that could have taken longer. He added that Beshir and Kiir held direct talks that reached these good results, pointing to the positive role by the African mediation and the two countries resolve to move ahead with implementing all joint cooperation agreements they signed last year. What was accomplished now was reactivation and acceleration of implementation of the previously concluded agreements, denying any new additions to the previous agreements. “There are neither additions nor amendments to the joint cooperation agreement,” he said.Mediation team accomplishes what was required:-Mbeki and Desalegn expressed their satisfaction with the summit and its outcome, remarking that the meeting accomplished its objectives and expressing confidence that the two parties are serious about implementing the agreement. The economic interests constituted a decisive factor for motivating the two countries into taking immediate and firm decision for achieving stability and strengthening the economic and social bonds. Beshir-Kiir agreement is an important step- MissairiyaThe Missairiya tribe regarded the Beshir-Kiir summit as an important step and declared its approval of the outcome of the meeting. It underlined the importance of speeding up formation of Abyei administration, legislative council and police unit so that a state exists on the ground for achieving development and stability for the people of the region who have suffered long waiting for establishment of these bodies. Mahdi Babo Nimir, a leading Missairiya tribesman, described as an important move, the agreement by Beshir and Kiir for implementation of the previous agreements on the administrative arrangements for Abyei region. He stressed the importance of an even division of the posts of the institution between the Missairiya and Dinka Ngok tribes. Nimir reiterated their outright rejection of a proposal for organizing the referendum during next October, suggesting that the exercise be held during next November or December. He pointed out that their way of living made two homes for the Missairiya, indicating that this situation would never change. Nimir called upon the governments of the two countries to help them maintain peaceful coexistence.The ruling National Congress Party (NCP), meanwhile, welcomed the outcome of the summit, though it remarked that the pledge by President Kiir for disengagement with the northern sector needs confirmation on the ground. Following a meeting of the NCP Political Sector chaired by Vice-President Hajj Adam Yusuf, stressed the need for implementation of the border demarcation and military monitors deployment in one package. According to a military expert of the former joint forces, implementation of Kiir’s disengagement pledge would be faced with internal problems and external factors that would make the mission difficult for the Government of South Sudan. He suggested formation of a new joint military committee to oversee implementation of the disengagement process. The summit welcomed regionally & internationally:-The summit was met with an international and regional welcome by the United Nations and the Arab League and by the United States, Britain and Norway which sponsored the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Kenya.The Arab League:-Regionally, the Arab League, in a statement it issued on Sunday, welcomed the Beshir-Kiir summit and commended the agreement on the administrative and security arrangements for Abyei region and the border areas. It said this would help facilitate implementation of last September agreements, expressing confidence in the political will of the leaderships in the two countries for resolving their pending issues. The Arab League pledged it would spare no effort for backing the strenuous efforts by the two countries for cementing good-neighbour relation and peaceful coexistence and serving the common interests and development for the benefit of two peoples and the peoples of the region. The United Nations:- Internationally, UN Secretary-General Ban Ke-Moon urged the two Sudanese leaders to solve the controversial problems between their two countries, pledging support by the UN for implementing the concluded agreements and help solve their controversial problems. A press release issued by his office and posted on the UN website, said the Secretary-General encourages the two presidents for decisively addressing the pending problems between their two countries, including the border demarcation, the security arrangements, the final status of Abyei region and reactivation of the agreed upon border security mechanisms and implementation of all agreements which were concluded last September. The Foreign ministers of the US, Britain and Norway which sponsored the CPA of 2005 issued a joint statement distributed by the US State Department at the summit saying that the successful summit the two presidents held last September indicated the possibility of reaching a lasting settlement was within reach. The ministers regretted for halting the progress in implementing the September 27 agreements, especially the border security arrangement which remain unimplemented. They called upon the two leaders to address all the pending issues in a practical way and to ascertain immediate withdrawal of the forces of the two countries from the demilitarized zone, deployment of the joint border mechanism and to carry verification and monitoring according to the agreement. The tripartite statement indicated that full implementation of all agreements without preconditions would help build trust between the two countries and would be of benefit to their peoples. The statement also said resumption of petroleum production and exportation would be of an economic value to both countries and should not be suspended during the negotiations in favor of other issues.The US Security Council and the summit:-The UN Security Council is scheduled to review, in a routine session on Tuesday, developments of the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan. It is due to hear a report by the AUHIP Chairman on the outcome of the summit.Remarks:-- In response to a question at the press conference, the Ethiopian Prime Ministers said he is happy for the success of the summit.- The Ethiopian Presidential Palace served as a stage for consultations and encounters between the mediators and the two countries’ delegations, separately. It seemed as if things were arranged in advance by the host, Haile Mariam Desalegn.- The summit attracted concern by local and international observers.- The observers bet the results of the summit would help the two countries achieve stability and defuse the tension.- The response by President Beshir to the invitation by the Ethiopian Prime Minister indicated imminent improvement of the relations between Khartoum and Juba. This was confirmed by his statement on the inauguration of the heightening of Er-Rosaires Dam in the Blue Nile State in which he said he was willing to resolve the dispute with South Sudan. The north has consented to secession of the South so as to reach peace.- The secrecy around the summit and non-issuance of any statement by either party made the observers worried about the failure of the meeting, particularly after the press conference that was held by South Sudan chief negotiator in which he spoke of bombardment by the Sudanese army of Bahr el-Ghazal, in spite of the fact that his delegation came for the summit in good-will. Despite everything, the question on the actual implementation of what has been agreed upon will depend on the outcome of the meetings of the joint political committee in Addis Ababa on January 13, the date which is also set for resumption of negotiations by the joint security committee which is entrusted to implement the agreement. E N DMas

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