U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr StAore, and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague today issued joint statements welcoming discussions held on transitional financial arrangements and commercial oil fees between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and Government of South Sudan (GoSS) that were facilitated by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in Addis Ababa.
The three officials said the significant negotiations were advanced through the presentation of new proposals that warranted careful consideration by both sides.
They noted in particular a detailed proposal by the GoSS that put forth a financial contribution to help the GoS reduce its financial gap after South Sudan’s secession.
The three officials also strongly urged the Parties to reconvene as soon as possible, ahead of the agreed December 20 date, to agree on arrangements for the export of oil. They urged both states to finalize as soon as possible a sustainable agreement that encompasses all outstanding petroleum sector and financial issues.
They reiterated their strong commitment to continue working with the AUHIP and both governments to reach an agreement on other outstanding post-CPA issues.
The officials urged both governments to immediately implement agreed security and administrative arrangements on Abyei and the border. They stressed that the withdrawal of all GoS and GoSS armed forces from Abyei, the establishment of the Abyei Area Administration, and the convening of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee in Abyei are of highest priority and any obstacles to these objectives should be resolved quickly.
