Arab mediation to resolve the crisis

A source at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, well-informed about the file of relations with South Sudan, explained to “Al-Akhbar” that the reason for not issuing any statement by the Foreign Ministry is first that the Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy is outside the country, second that he has not given any orders in this regard, and third to avoid portraying Egypt as trying to interfere in the affairs of a friendly country, in case it commented on that. 

The source, who preferred not to mention his name, added: Cairo is only following up what is happening on the ground in Juba, and it wishes that the people of South Sudan would achieve stability again. 

Sources following-up the events in Juba stated to “Al-Akhbar” that the Egyptian Medical Mission in Juba did not help the civilian and the military wounded and injured people in the clashes, on the pretext that it has not been given orders from Cairo. 

As for the Arab League, which is waiting to add southern Sudan to its membership, its secretariat general has strongly condemned what it described as “a failed coup attempt” that aimed at blocking the efforts to achieve national reconciliation, as well as to have good-neighborly relations with the Republic of Sudan. 

The Secretariat of the Arab League stressed in a press statement issued yesterday its support for the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit and his government in achieving security and stability, and expressed its solidarity with the people of South Sudan to achieve their aspirations in the development and prosperity, noting that it is following the latest developments in the Republic of South Sudan. 

In a related context, Arab diplomatic sources in Juba stressed to “Al-Akhbar” that there is a study and proposals for an Arab mediation, welcoming the dialogue between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Machar, to reach quickly to national reconciliation and to achieve the stability of the modern state, which has been separated from Sudan only two years ago. The sources confirmed that the Arab mediation will talk about the impact of the economic interests and the Arab investments in Juba, and about suspending any file for economic assistance if instability continues on the ground, or if the two parties continued in their conflict. 

Regarding Sudan’s government, which is closely following up what is happening, it has taken a neutral position on what is going on and did not declare its support for any of the two conflicting parties. Meanwhile, the border conflict between Khartoum and Juba is nonstop, obstructing peace efforts between the two countries is continuous, and the file of Abyei and South oil has not been settled yet. 

Sudanese sources confirmed to “Al-Akhbar” that President Omar al-Bashir had contacted his counterpart in South Sudan Salva Kiir, expressing that Khartoum is interested to achieve internal stability in the neighboring country. The sources, which preferred to remain anonymous, pointed out that what is happening now in South Sudan had been expected since the beginning of the separation, because the people of the south are ruled by the tribes and by the culture of coups. In fact, the State of the South was established on the basis of an insurrectional movement, as well as the motives of the coup were tribal oriented motives basically after excluding the Nuer people from important ranks in the state, controlled by the Dinka tribe belonging to Salva Kiir.

The sources indicated that the internal events in southern Sudan will have repercussions on the files of reconciliation and the completion of the peace process on the border between north and south Sudan, which is still experiencing armed operations, noting that it would be greatly harmful if the talks in these files were postponed and if the agreements signed between the two parties were not implemented.