Kiir acknowledges Khartoum decision to block oil flow through Sudan
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit said on Wednesday that he acknowledges the decision taken by Khartoum to block transportation of oil produced by his country, adding he was willing to engage in peaceful dialogue to promote better relations.
South Sudan’s petroleum and mining minister, Stephen Dhieu Dau, said he had received two letters on Tuesday from Sudan’s oil minister, Awad Al-Jazz, informing him of the decision by the Sudanese government to suspend economic agreements and the use of its territory to export crude oil to the international markets.
The letters, obtained by Sudan Tribune, bear the signature of Al-Jazz and give the effective date for the shutdown of oil flows as 9 June.
According to Dau, the first letter had informed South Sudan of the suspension of the cooperation agreement signed by both countries in September, but did not mention halting oil flows.
However, after about one hour, he said the government had received a call from the Sudanese embassy in Juba requesting that the letter not be distributed because they wanted to make some amendments.
“They made the amendment and sent the one which included suspension of the oil from flowing to the international markets through Sudan. I told the president that we have now received official notification from Sudan and he said ‘okay let’s respect that’”, Dau told journalists on Wednesday.
The letter says that the shutdown of processing and transportation facilities for oil received from South Sudan would be done in a way that would minimize the environmental effects in the two countries.
“In order to protect the facilities and to avoid any environmental hazards in the two countries, the shutdown shall be safely and smoothly carried out during a period of 60 days from the date of 9 June, 2013”, it added.
The Sudanese ambassador in South Sudan confirmed his country had sent a letter, but declined to make additional comments when questioned about his government’s decision.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46925
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