South Sudan says president ready to meet Sudan's Bashir
JUBA | Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:41pm EST
(Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir is willing to meet his
Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan al-Bashir to sort out conflicts and resume
vital oil flows, a South Sudanese minister said on Friday after Bashir
agreed to hold a summit.
The neighbors agreed in September to set up a demilitarized border zone and
resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through Sudan. Oil is the
lifeline of both economies.
Neither country has yet withdrawn its army from either side of the border, a
precondition to resume oil flows. Both sides accuse each other of supporting
rebels on the other's territory.
South Sudan initially had planned to resume exports by year-end after
shutting down its output of 350,000 barrels a day in January after failing
to agree an export fee with Sudan.
On Wednesday, Bashir said he was ready to meet Kiir after the African Union
had urged both to hold a summit as soon as possible. Ethiopian Prime
Minister Hailemariam Desalegn visited Khartoum and Juba this week to mediate
between the presidents.
"Our president had sent him (Bashir) an invitation before which is still
open and we believe our president has all along been open to a serious and
meaningful meeting with the president of Sudan," South Sudan's Information
Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told Reuters.
"Since the message was brought to us by His Excellency the Prime Minister of
Ethiopia...we believe that President Omar al-Bashir will honor the meeting,"
Benjamin said.
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Received on Fri Dec 28 2012 - 18:18:15 EST
