Addis Ababa Agreement to be Implemented Following Parliaments Ratification

The Sudanese and South Sudanese Parliaments both ratified the cooperation agreement signed late last month between Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa. Political analysts considered this a major step after tension between the countries flared after South Sudan’s secession.
Ratifying the agreement by the Sudanese parliament
The Sudanese Parliament unanimously ratified the cooperation agreement which covers issues such as oil and security. Both presidents said the agreements are the way to end the tension.
Prior to the actual vote, Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir of Sudan said to the MPs: "The general feeling is that the agreement will be ratified."
Half of the 350 MPs were present to ratify the agreement, to which only two were opposed.
Head of the joint parliament committees, Mohammed Alhassan Alamin, said that Parliament has ratified each part of the agreement separately, depending on the recommendations of specialised subcommittees. The MPs said they firmly believe the agreement will help Sudan and South Sudan reach their peace-oriented goals.
Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Karti said to the MPs: "We received positive reactions from the international community. The international community believes we're a responsible country that seeks to realise the interests of its people.” He criticized the voices opposed to the agreement.
Ratifying the agreement by the South Sudanese parliament
The South Sudanese Parliament ratified the agreement despite a 500-strong demonstration outside Parliament by citizens from Bahr Al-Ghazal and Unity. They brought along a sworn affidavit declaring their rejection of the agreement and shouted their disagreement at Parliament throughout the ratification.
Having been ratified by both Parliaments and previously by both cabinets, the agreement is now ready to be put into effect.
Committees from both sides were instructed to commence their duties to carry out the agreement.
It is important to put the agreement into effect
Head of SPLM-Democratic Change Party Dr. Lam Akol Ajaween called on government of South Sudan to carry out the agreement, considering it is an historical agreement that will reinforce economic, political, and security ties between Sudan and South Sudan.
In a statement to smc, secretary of Organisational Affairs in the party, Mahjoub Bel Trouk, urged both countries to implement the agreement promptly to avoid UNSC sanctions on both countries and a UN intervention in South Sudan under the 7th Chapter.

Isolated Voices

Abdallah Adam Khatir, a political analyst, downplayed the effect of people in either country opposed to the agreement, saying they are isolated voices that do not represent the general feeling. He pointed out that the implementation of the agreement will be supervised by the African Union, the United Nations and the relevant ministries in both countries. He warned against carrying out the agreement improperly because that will propel both countries back to the original problem, which happened before when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was improperly fulfilled.

Flashback

President Omer Al Bashir of Sudan and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan signed several cooperation and security agreements. These agreements combined are called the "Cooperation Agreement." This agreement, however, has not settled a few important issues, such as Abyei and the demarcation of the border. These issues are among the most sensitive of those not settled in the 2005 CPA, an agreement that halted decades of fighting between South Sudanese rebels and government in Khartoum and eventually led to South Sudan’s secession in July 2011. Tensions related to Abyei and the border led to border battles, considered the worst since Sudan’s division.
The agreement stipulated that oil transportation and exportation through Sudan will be resumed. It also mandated that South Sudan pay $3 billion to Sudan to compensate for the economic damage wrought in Sudan due to South Sudan’s secession that included most of the united Sudan’s oil fields. The two countries have also agreed to set up a "Joint Political and Security Mechanism" and a dividing area with a width of 10 kilometres on each side along the 2000-kilometre border to prevent border clashes, such as those that took place last spring. The dividing area is also intended to cut off supplies to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile rebels, whom Khartoum accuses Juba of supporting.
At the signing ceremony in Addis Ababa, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan said, "The all-encompassing agreement with Sudan will put an end to the long era of disputes between both our countries." And President Omer Al Bashir of Sudan said, "I will take this historical opportunity to build peace." But the two leaders were unsuccessful in settling the issue of the unstable area of Abyei as well as other disputed areas on the border. These issues –according to officials from both countries- must be settled decisively in future negotiation rounds.

By Ibrahim Al-Jack, 14 hours 49 minutes ago  

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