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Reports emerge about Russian mediation between Khartoum and Juba

September 7, 2015 at 11:14 am

Russia will lead a new round of mediation between Khartoum and Juba to ensure the implementation of the recent agreement struck on bilateral relations between the two sides, an official Sudanese source revealed yesterday.

Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that the foreign ministers of Sudan, Moscow and the state of South Sudan will meet in Russia on Thursday to discuss triparty relations between Moscow, Khartoum and Juba as well as the South Sudan-Sudan relations.

SUNA quoted the Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour as saying: “The Sudan’s relations with South Sudan is supposed to be better, theoretically, but there are some pending issues between the two states, most importantly, the implementation of the nine cooperation agreements signed by the two presidents, Field Marshal Omar Al-Bashir, the President of the Republic [of the Sudan] and Major General Salva Kiir, president of South Sudan, on the 9th of September in 2012.”

He added that his visit to Russia on Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the Addis Ababa agreement, although only one of the nine agreements was implemented – the agreement on the transfer of South Sudan’s oil through Port Sudan.

Ghandour also noted that his visit, which will take place between 9-11 September, came in response to an invitation from the Russian foreign minister. According to Ghandour, the two ministers will discuss bilateral relation between Russia and the Sudan in all fields; in addition to the coordination of regional and international issues.

The Sudanese foreign minister added that relations between the two countries are developing at both the economic and political levels.