Sudan and South Sudan Agree to Unite in Debt Appeal

Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir, President of Sudan, and Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan have agreed to work hand in hand to convince the international community into writing off their joint foreign debts and to extend the zero option agreement that expires this month.

Sudan's Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Mohamed Osman Al Rikabi who received his South Sudanese counterpart, Stephen Diu Daw, said it was important to secure the support of the African Union in handling the question of the joint foreign debts. The meeting was attended by the undersecretaries in the two ministries.

The Sudanese minister has meanwhile pledged to provide training and capacity building for staffers from the South Sudan ministry of Finance. He also said all due of former employees and pensioners who worked in the government bureaucracy prior to the separation of the two countries would be settled.

The minister has meanwhile underlined the keenness of the government of Sudan to strengthen further the relations between the two countries saying Khartoum looks forward to the coming visit by President Salva Kiir Maladroit to Sudan in the coming two days.

He expressed hope that Sudan looks forwards to signing a number of agreements and to more confidence bundling and to better relations between the two countries.

As the two sides have said they agreed to open the crossing point and to encourage trade, facilitate customs and banking procedures and ease people movement between the two countries as well as the smooth flow of commodities and goods to help better and reinforce relations between the two countries.

You will recall that the UN Security Council earlier in the year gave South Sudan’s warring parties one month to stop fighting and sign a peace agreement or face possible sanctions.

The United Nations identified six South Sudanese officials for a possible asset freeze and travel ban: Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk, former army chief Paul Malong Awan, Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth, and army deputy chief of staff for logistics Malek Reuben Riak, rebel-appointed governor of Bieh state Koang Rambang and cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuru.

The resolution received the minimum 9 "yes" votes, with six countries abstaining: Russia, China, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia.

Image credit: Sudan News Agency