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January 29, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir on Sunday confirmed that his country has released impounded oil shipments of South Sudan, urging acceleration of diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute.
- Omar al Bashir, President of Sudan, attends talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa January 27, 2012 hosted by an East African peace bloc, to resolve an oil dispute with former foe South Sudan (GETTY)
The release of the shipments was promised by Al-Bashir earlier on Saturday following the collapse of his direct talks on the margins of the ongoing IGAD summit in Ethiopia with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit regarding the oil crisis that brought their recently-separated countries to the brink of economic war.
Al-Bashir on Sunday told Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, that South Sudan’s oil shipments had been released and they already sailed out of Port Sudan into the regional and international waters.
Sudan has been holding the shipments since September last year because of it calls Juba’s failure to pay any fees for transporting its crude through Sudan’s pipeline infrastructure since South Sudan seceded in July.
Khartoum says it took the unilateral decision to confiscate southern oil after Juba appeared to be uninterested in striking a deal on a fair charge to export its oil through Sudan.
But South Sudan accused Khartoum of “stealing” oil revenues amounting to $815 million, and later moved to shut down oil production in protest, triggering a diplomatic frenzy as regional and international stakeholders rushed to contain the dispute.
Months of negotiations under the mediation of the African Union High-Level Panel led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki failed to reach a deal.
Hopes for a deal to be reached during talks between Al-Bashir and Kiir had also dissipated despite prior announcements by Zenawi that the pair were about to create a breakthrough.
South Sudan said it would not reverse decision to suspend oil production unless Khartoum releases the impounded shipments and reimburses it for the confiscated oil.
A southern official quoted by Reuters on condition of anonymity this week said that Juba would be waiting for confirmation from the shipping companies that the vessels were allowed to sail out of Port Sudan.
Sudan Tribune has learned that Al-Bashir asked Zenawi to expedite the process of tabling the proposals of the AUHIP before the two sides in order to reach a settlement to the dispute.
The next round of talks is scheduled for February 10 to resume discussions on the AUHIP proposals which, according to diplomatic sources, would allow South Sudan to export its oil without any portion of it being confiscated by Khartoum.
The proposal would also see South Sudan provide Sudan with the 35,000 barrels per day for its refineries in Khartoum and elsewhere as well as $4 billion to cover the gap in Khartoum’s budget.
Similarly in Khartoum, the undersecretary of the oil ministry, Awad Musa, told foreign diplomats that the vessels had indeed left Port Sudan on Sunday morning.
Mutrif Sidiq, a member of Sudan’s negotiating team, cited the release of the shipments as an example of how Khartoum has been reacting positively to proposals from the mediation. Sidiq added that Khartoum had made a number of gestures of good will.
(ST)
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