Sudan Sets Conditions For Engaging Normal Ties With South Sudan

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- Sudan which has set four conditions to engage normal relationship with South Sudan, said on Tuesday that the South Sudan government must be held accountable for all its destruction of infrastructure in Heglig in accordance with international law. Sudan's Ambassador to Malaysia Nadir Yousif Eltayeb said that South Sudan must recognise and abide by the Six Agreements on Security between the two states and the South must also officially recognise the border line which existed since Sudan's independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956. He said South Sudan must also stop acts of aggression against Sudan and refrain from supporting the insurgency in Blue Nile, South Kordofan; and have to refrain from supporting the Darfur insurgency movements which refused to sign the Doha Agreement. "Sudan government reiterates its commitment to the stability of the region and preservation of peace and security within the international law...Sudan will have normal relations under four conditions and South Sudan has to commit to these," he told reporters at his office here on Tuesday. Tensions heightened between the two nations, following South Sudan's occupation of the Heglig oil region earlier this month, where last Friday Sudanese troops recaptured the region. Heglig is internationally recognised as part of Sudan, although South Sudan disputed the claim while the 10-day occupation was widely criticised, including by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who called it illegal. South Sudan broke away from Sudan in July last year after an independence vote, following the 2005 peace treaty. Nadir said that before the defeat, the intruders left the area after utter destruction of oil infrastructure, including central processing station, oil pipelines, tankers, power stations and oil collection stations besides storage facilities. In the meantime, he said Khartoum was grateful to the prompt and unequivocal support of the International and regional communities as well as friendly nations. "The UN, African Union, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), major Western and Asian countries have issued strong statements against the aggression," he said. -- BERNAMA