* South Sudan says Sudan dropping weapons to rebels
* Juba accepts AU map, but Sudan says not yet resolved
By Ulf Laessing
ADDIS ABABA, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Leaders of Sudan and South Sudan met on
late on Sunday to try reach a deal to end hostilities but there was still no
breakthrough on a security accord after two weeks of talks in Ethiopia,
officials said, as a U.N. deadline expired.
Highlighting the deep mistrust between the neighbours, South Sudan accused
Sudan of air dropping weapons at the weekend to rebels in the new African
nation, which split off from its former civil war foe Khartoum in July 2011.
The armies of both nations fought for weeks in April along the unmarked and
disputed border after a row escalated over how much South Sudan should pay
to use northern oil pipelines.
Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and South Sudan's Salva Kiir started
talks late on Sunday in Addis Ababa to discuss the remaining obstacles for a
deal.
"We have agreed on many topics but there are still issues for which we don't
have a deal yet, specifically the security issue," said Badr el-Din
Abdallah, spokesman for the Sudanese delegation.
The two countries had to reach a comprehensive peace deal by the weekend or
risk incurring U.N. Security Council sanctions.
Diplomats have been trying to mediate between the rivals, which have a
history of signing and then not implementing deals. Both badly need the oil
revenues at stake.
The two reached an interim deal in August to restart oil exports from
landlocked South Sudan through Sudan to its Red Sea ports after Juba turned
off wells in a row over export fees.
But Sudan insists on first reaching a security accord.
On Saturday, Sudan raised hopes for a deal by conditionally accepting an
African Union map for a demilitarized border zone after objecting to it for
months.
But Abdallah said on Sunday the issue had not yet been resolved and it would
be discussed at the summit. Juba has already accepted the AU map.
Bashir first met Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Sunday and
then like spent Kiir much of the day with his delegation.
"The points are on the table. We are quite hopeful and optimistic that
things will move forward," Ethiopia's State Foreign Minister Berhane
Gebrekristos said after Bashir met Desalegn.
MISTRUST
South Sudan, where most follow Christianity and animism, seceded from the
mainly Muslim north in July 2011 under a 2005 peace agreement that ended
decades of civil war.
Secession left a long list of issues unresolved such as marking the border,
fees for southern oil fees and ending accusations of rebel support in each
other's territory.
Western and African officials had hoped for broad peace accord but several
rounds of talks in Addis Ababa have brought no visible progress on settling
the fate of five disputed border areas. This will probably be left to a
future round or possible lengthy arbitration.
South Sudan accused Sudan of parachuting eight parcels of weapons and
ammunition to forces of anti-government militia leader David Yau Yau in the
country's east on Friday and Saturday.
"Yesterday and today Antonov (planes) have dropped arms and ammunition
around Likuangole in front of everybody, including UNMISS (the U.N. mission
in South Sudan)," army spokesman Philip Aguer said.
Sudanese army spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid denied the claim.
There was also no sign of progress in indirect talks held in Addis Ababa
between Sudan and the rebel group Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North
(SPLM-North) which is fighting the Sudan's army in two areas bordering South
Sudan.
Khartoum accuses Juba of supporting the SPLM-North. South Sudan accuses
Sudan of supporting militias in the new republic.
The presidents are also expected to discuss a solution for the disputed
border region of Abyei, where previous attempts to hold a referendum have
failed because neither can agree on who is eligible to vote. (Reporting by
Ulf Laessing; Editing by Sophie Hares)
C Thomson Reuters 2012 All rights reserved
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Received on Sun Sep 23 2012 - 16:54:04 EDT
