Press Release
(Addis Ababa, 19 March 2011): The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Jean Ping, welcomes the decision by the parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to resume their negotiations on post‐referendum issues and other outstanding matters, following the meeting that took place in Khartoum, on 17 March 2011, under the facilitation of the African Union High‐Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on Sudan.
The Chairperson of the Commission congratulates the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) for the effective manner in which they have addressed the tensions that had arisen between the parties in the past weeks. In particular, the Chairperson of the Commission congratulates Their Excellencies President Omar Hassan Al Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit, for the leadership they have demonstrated, which made it possible to quickly reach an agreement for the resumption of the negotiations and the establishment of mechanisms to resolve the security concerns that had led to the suspension of dialogue.
In view of the limited time left before the end of the CPA interim period, the Chairperson of the Commission urges the parties to continue to work in a concerted effort, with the able facilitation of the AUHIP comprising former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Abdusalami Abubakar and Pierre Buyoya, in order to complete the implementation of all outstandingCPA provisions and, in particular, to resolve, with finality, the issue of Abyei.
The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates AU’s unwavering commitment to supporting the parties in their efforts to resolve the outstanding issues between them. In this regard, and in spite of the many difficult decisions confronting the parties, he is confident in their capacity to meet the challenges ahead and to establish two viable and stable Sudanese states at the end of the Interim period, on 9 July 2011.