Sudanese minister implicates South in negotiations’ failure

Sudanese Minister of Defence Abdul- Rahim Mohamed Hussein on Friday held South Sudan responsible for the failure of the recent round of negotiations between the two countries on outstanding issues under the African mediation in Addis Ababa. “The round of security negotiations, which were held between Khartoum and Juba in Addis Ababa, failed because South Sudan delegation has presented a new map that was different from the international one recognized by the international community and the United Nations and in accordance with which the south gained its independence,” said Hussein at a press conference here Friday. “The new map, to which the south adheres, adds six new areas to the disputed areas including Heglig, instead of the four areas in the map recognized by the United Nations, thus increasing the number of the disputed areas to 10,” he added. The Sudanese minister further described the new map presented by the south as “embodying hostile intentions and a desire in occupying other areas to increase the number of disputed areas.” Hussein reiterated Sudan’s rejection to South Sudan’s endeavour to re-demarcate the borders, saying that “the only map which Sudan regards as a legal map is the one which is found in the United Nations records, upon which the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was inked in 2005, and in accordance with which the referendum was conducted and the separation between forces and all the procedures relating to the agreement were made.”