Sudan Seen Concerned With Juba Events, Urged to Do More
15 July, 2016KHARTOUM (Sudanow.info.sd) - In the news, UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson has telephoned Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Ghanour and extolled the role being played by Sudan in search for a halt of the feuding in the Republic of South Sudan.
Press reports said the UN official has noted the pivotal role played by Sudan in this regard noting, in particular, President Bashir’s contacts with President Kiir and Dr. Machar and his call upon them to resort to peaceful dialogue as a way out of this crisis.
Eliasson has also indicated Sudan’s participation in the recent emergency meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, of the IGAD Ministerial meeting that called for a ceasefire and the restoration of peace to South Sudan. Eliasson has reportedly urged Sudan to keep up efforts until peace is achieved in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Abdul-Ghani al-Naeem has also discussed the developments in South Sudan with the U.S Charge' de’Affaires to Sudan Steven Kotsis.
The meeting, held at Naeem’s office, has dwelt upon ways of cooperation between the Sudan and the U.S to restore peace and stability to South Sudan.
News reports said the American diplomat has indicated the important role played by Sudan in the search for peace and stability in the Southern Sudan within the endeavours of the IGAD group to this effect.
Columnist Yousif al-Jalal says the government of Sudan should have done more to stop bloodletting in the South and should not have waited to be reminded to do so by foreign countries.
For his part Vice President of the Republic Hasabu Mohammad Abdul-Rahman has chaired a special meeting in his office to follow up the developments in Southern Sudan, according to State Minister of Foreign Affairs Obaidalla Mohammad Obaidalla.
The meeting, that brought together officials from concerned ministries, has discussed possible measures that could be taken to respond to the developments in the South Sudan, especially with respect to the conditions of Sudanese nationals living and working in the neighbouring country and ways for protecting them and their property or evacuating them.
The first batch of the evacuees has arrived today (Friday) at Khartoum airport while another four flights are expected to arrive same day carrying 400 persons. According to a report by the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) more than 3,000 of the Sudanese nationals in Juba and other towns have registered for evacuation.
He said the meeting has also discussed ways of dealing with an expected huge influx of South Sudanese nationals into Sudan as a result of the events in their country. He said those South Sudanese will be treated as foreign nationals as decided before.
Obaidalla said the meeting has also agreed upon the need to convene the third meeting of the joint commission set to follow up the implementation of the Southern Sudanese warring parties peace agreement, slated for Khartoum on July 31. The meeting is also to be attended by international mediators, Sudan and China.
Some experts have said that, given the fact that the South does not pay the oil transit fees regularly, and that joint trade was at a halt, the effects of the current conflict in the Southern Sudan will have no great impact on the Sudanese economy.
They, however, expected the conflict to impact the value of the Sudanese pound as black market traders might exploit the situation and raise the rates of foreign exchange, urging concerned authorities to check them.
Observers note that despite the break away of Southern Sudan, the previous conflict and the ensuing tensions, South Sudanese prefer to flock Northwards into Sudan than to go to other neighbouring countries.
Estimates put the number of South Sudanese refugees who entered Sudan since 2013 at half a million. A new influx was reported as of Wednesday, July 13, where the government said it would accord them the status of foreign nationals. Therefore, some observers are apprehensive that the spread of the fighting to the neighbouring Unity and Upper Nile states might impact the situation in Darfur, the White Nile and South Kordufan states where refugees could burden the services and food sectors.
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