Presidential summit approaches amid exchanged accusations

Presidents Kiir & Bahshir/ The Globe Newspaper file

With the New Year and presidential summit fast approaching, Sudan and South Sudan continue to trade accusations of military incursions into disputed border areas, in yet another setback to plans to secure their volatile frontier and resume cross-border oil flow. This despite the fact that the two agreed, last September, to end hostilities and resume oil exports from South Sudan via Sudan having come close to war last April. This said neither has yet pulled back its army from the border; a precondition for resuming oil flows from the landlocked south through the north, a lifeline for both economies.

The accusations come at a time when both presidents are expressing readiness to convene their meeting at any place to try to move forward with setting up a demilitarized border zone to restart oil flow.

Their statements raise the prospect that the two could set aside their differences, after signing agreements in September meant for securing their disputed border and allowing South Sudan to resume oil exports.

South Sudan had initially planned to resume exports by year-end after shutting down its output of 350,000 barrels a day in January, after failing to agree on an export fee with Sudan.

However, armies of both countries, according to Reuters, traded accusations of military forays into disputed border areas; as the spokesman for South Sudan’s army, Col. Philip Aguer, said five people were killed when Sudanese planes bombed Kiir Adem, which lies inside a 14-mile-wide strip of land claimed by both countries.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s army claimed in a statement that South Sudanese troops planted a large number of land mines in the area, after which clashes broke out between residents and armed groups that are part of the South Sudan army.

The South Sudan cabinet said on Friday that defense remains a top priority; announcing that "all necessary arrangements" have been put in place to fend off foreign aggression and incursion, in the wake of alleged attacks on Northern Bahr el Ghazal on Wednesday.

According to Sudan Tribune, The government of South Sudan made the announcement after holding a cabinet meeting chaired by president Salva Kiir, during which he gave a briefing about the visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister, Desalegne Hailemariam.

The international community in general and the African Union in particular are continuing their efforts to pressure both sides to return to talks to resolve their disputes over oil transit fees, borders and other issues.

Two weeks ago, the African Union, backed by Western powers, urged Bashir and Kiir to meet as soon as possible to resolve disputes.

Delegations from both countries are scheduled to resume talks in Ethiopia in mid-January.

However, many observers see that such escalated tensions and reckless acts could negatively effect on the ongoing talks and prevent the two parties from achieving a breakthrough at their upcoming presidential summit.

Other analysts believe that the two sides need to admit the crushing impact of the oil crisis on their economies in order to find final solutions for outstanding issues, as both are witnessing sharply spiraling food and fuel prices and currency devaluation.