Cease-Fire Talks Stall As Sudan Split Nears

[Guest guest]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304793504576431950584717380.html

AFRICA NEWS

JULY 7, 2011, 5:07 P.M. ET.

Cease-Fire Talks Stall As Sudan Split Nears

By WILL CONNORS

Negotiations aimed at halting violence along the border between north and south

Sudan appeared to have stalled Thursday, raising the prospect of a broader

conflict just days before the south becomes the world's newest country.

Cease-fire talks in Ethiopia have aimed to end fighting in Southern Kordofan, an

oil-rich state in the north part of Sudan, where northern troops have launched

widespread aerial assaults in an apparent effort to wipe out rebel groups that

have been loyal to southern Sudan, according to the United Nations and aid

groups.

Sudan president al-Bashir said Thursday on state-run television that talks

between the north and the rebels were over. Mr. Bashir and an army spokesman

said the north wouldn't negotiate with armed groups and would instead continue

to fight them. It wasn't immediately possible to reach a representative of the

rebels.

Mr. Bashir's move deals a blow to international efforts to broker a cease-fire

agreement ahead of Saturday, when southern Sudan is scheduled to formally secede

from the north. The threat of heightened conflict in Southern Kordofan, along

with continuing tensions in neighboring areas along the border between north and

south, adds further complication to an already a messy divorce.

Civil war in Africa's largest country ended in 2005 and southern Sudan voted for

independence in January, but peace has been elusive. Over the last month, tanks

and troops from northern Sudan have amassed in Abyei, a border area claimed by

both north and south.

Northern troops have also battled in Southern Kordofan in an apparent bid to

wipe out groups that had fought on behalf of southern Sudan during the civil

war. The U.N. says clashes there have displaced hundreds of thousands of

civilians. It says the extent of fatalities isn't clear as the northern army has

denied the U.N. access to the most-affected areas.

The Ethopia cease-fire negotiations, led by former South African president Thabo

Mbeki, aimed to end the Southern Kordofan clashes. A resolution seemed at hand

last week when south Sudan agreed to absorb armed groups into its national army,

but talks ended Thursday after Mr. Bashir pulled out.

Western diplomats and U.N. and African Union officials said they had hoped a

temporary cease-fire would be reached in time for independence.

The north and south are holding their own round of difficult talks, aimed at

reaching accords on land use and oil-revenue sharing.

" We need good relationship with the north, " said Pagan Amum, the south's chief

negotiator with the north in those talks. " We don't want to go back to war. "

Splitting Sudan is a delicate proposition. Both countries are trying to work

through issues of how to share billions of dollars of revenue from oil—which is

largely located in Sudan's south but is refined and shipped from the north. Mr.

Bashir has demanded revenues continue to be split 50-50 and has threatened to

shut pipelines. The south is demanding a lion's share of the revenues. A deal

remains hanging in the balance as the split looms.

The breakup has also been bedeviled by issues including rights to the disputed

land, the movement of thousands of nomadic people back and forth across borders

and government debt.

Those issues now encumber efforts to end border fighting, analysts say.

" Hopefully once the brinkmanship, emotion and politics surrounding the talks and

the partition of the country subside, leaders from both north and south " will

conclude negotiations, said Zach Vertin, Sudan analyst with the International

Crisis Group.

" Allowing these issues, including the final status of Abyei, to linger without

resolution for any length of time could swiftly destabilize the future

relationship between these two states, " Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the

U.N., said Thursday in Washington.

Mr. Bashir has been careful to balance his criticism of the border talks with

support for southern Sudan's independence. He has pledged to attend the

ceremonial unveiling of the new country on Saturday, according to state TV.

Aid agencies this week called on the U.N. to increase troops in south Sudan

after Saturday's secession to prevent violence from spiraling out of control.

The U.N. has around 5,000 military personnel and at least 460 police officers

currently stationed in south Sudan. A separate unit of 4,200 U.N.-backed

Ethiopian troops is expected to arrive in Abyei soon.

The new southern government, meanwhile, has moved ahead with preparations for

its independence-day ceremonies.

Several top U.S. diplomats, including Ms. Rice and former Secretary of State

Colin , are expected to attend the ceremony.

—Godfrey Maganda in Juba, Sudan, contributed to this article.

[Guest guest]

But Obama just claimed credit for creating South Sudan. They can't go to war now not when Obama has said everything is just peachy.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-takes-credit-birth

Quote

While President Obama’s “steadfast leadership and personal engagement†was noted, Bush was not mentioned once during the briefing by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Rice, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs nie Carson and USAID Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg.

Rice, who heads a presidential delegation attending the independence celebrations, did recognize the efforts of former Secretary of State Colin – also part of the delegation – and former U.S. envoy to Sudan Danforth, saying the two had “worked so hard to lay the groundwork for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.â€

But she focused the rest of her acknowledgements on the efforts and achievements of the current administration.

“The United States has worked tirelessly to help make the promise of this moment a reality,†she said. “First, it would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership and personal engagement of President Obama, who raised his voice consistently and eloquently as he did before what was a historic gathering at the United Nations last September, where he spoke in support, quote, ‘of a future where, after the darkness of war, there can be a new day of peace and progress.’â€

End quote

In a message dated 7/7/2011 5:48:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Negotiations aimed at halting violence along the border between north and south Sudan appeared to have stalled Thursday, raising the prospect of a broader conflict just days before the south becomes the world's newest country.