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Latest Sudan-South Sudan Talks End With Optimism

April 04, 2012

Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa

Progress is reported in African Union-mediated talks aimed at reducing tensions between Sudan and South Sudan. Tense negotiations that had dragged on for days at a luxury hotel broke up Wednesday afternoon in an atmosphere of cautious optimism. Both sides indicated another round of talks could be held as early as next week.

The head of South Sudan's negotiating team, Pagan Amum, said his side accepted a compromise proposal presented by an AU mediation panel led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

"There is a proposal by the panel to reduce the tension between the two states and resolve all the security issues between the two states as well as to retain the momentum of the new spirit and we are ready to sign that agreement today," Amum explained.

The start of the talks had been delayed two days awaiting the arrival of Sudan's Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein. The delay prompted Amum to accuse Khartoum of stalling for time while its forces were carrying out attacks along the disputed Sudan-South Sudan border.

As he left for home, Hussein described the three-day talks as good, and praised the Mbeki panel compromise proposal. But he said more work will be needed before Khartoum is willing to accept the terms.

"The high panel have done a very good effort so they can get both sides closer together and they have made a paper," Hussein said. "We think this paper will need more consultation with the capitals, so we are going back so we can do more consultation on this paper and then we come back and continue."

Diplomatic sources close to the negotiations say Khartoum's objections to the AU proposal appear to be minor. Those sources say, however, that Sudan's delegation is split among those favoring a quick compromise, and a minority that remains opposed to any agreement that would limit the decisions of commanders on the ground.

Exact details of the compromise were not immediately available, but Hussein said an agreement would lead to a summit between the two presidents, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and Salva Kiir of South Sudan. That summit had originally been scheduled for April 3 in Juba, the South's capital, but was postponed after hostilities broke out along the border last week.