Roundup: Khartoum, Juba relationship returns to accusations, threats square

Since South Sudan has officially separated from Sudan in 2011, the relationship between the two countries has remained swinging between relative improvement and tension, while the tow sides' efforts have failed to reach full normalization of ties.

Following a remarkable stability after decisions by the two countries' presidents to remove the reasons of tension, and after Sudan's move in last January to open its border with South Sudan, the relationship between Khartoum and Juba has returned to the square of exchanged accusations and hinting to adopt what is beyond threats.

To this end, local Sudanese media on Friday reported Sudanese Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mhamoud Hamid have accused Juba of continuing its support for the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector which is leading a rebellion against Khartoum at Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions.

"Juba is continuing to support the rebels despite the goodwill expressed by Sudan through opening the border and non-restricting the movement of the Southern Sudanese citizens," Hamid said.

"If South Sudan failed to stop supporting the rebels, we will be forced to adopt measures to protect the country even if that led to closing the borders again," he noted.

He went on saying that "we are waiting for the implementation of the cooperation agreements signed in 2012 so that there won't be security issues between the two countries."

Last January, the two countries' presidents issued decisions opening the joint border, withdrawing the forces from the border and reviewing the transit fees of exporting South Sudan's oil through Sudan's oil utilities.

However, Khartoum insists that Juba has not stopped its support for the rebel movements and has not committed to withdrawal of its troops from the joint borders, particularly the disputed areas.

Nevertheless, South Sudan government reiterated commitment to the decisions made by President Salva Kiir Mayardit last January and his order for the army to withdraw from the border with Sudan.

In this connection, Sudan Tribune reported South Sudan's Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak have said "that order has been complied with long time ago. Our forces have been withdrawn more than one kilometer away from the common border with Sudan but they want us to go beyond that, which has security concerns."

He further warned that negative and hostile rebel forces could take advantage of movement away from the common border and may use the area for activities which may compromise security between the two countries.

Meanwhile, and according to Sudan Tribune, South Sudan's new deputy chief of general staff for finance and administration, James Ajonga Mawut Ajonga, also confirmed that government forces have complied with the order after the army's chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, sent out to all units at the border with Sudan to act in compliance with the order of the president.

In the meantime, and in a move regarded by observers as "escalation," the Sudanese government decided Thursday to treat the Southern Sudanese nationals living in Sudan as foreigners when receiving services.

The decision was made by the Sudanese Council of Ministers in its session, chaired by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday, according to official SUNA news agency.

The government decision came contrary to a previous decision by al-Bashir to treat the Southern Sudanese fleeing the fighting in their country as citizens.

The council of ministers also decided to check the identity of the Southern Sudanese nationals in Sudan, saying that legal action would be taken against anyone who does not hold a passport or an official entry visa.

A'mer Abdalla, a Sudanese political analyst, speaking to Xinhua Friday, said "Khartoum wanted to send a signal to Juba that it has means of pressure that it can use."

"This is an escalating move that is likely to increase the tension in the two countries' relations, where the Southern Sudanese nationals will pay a high price if Khartoum pressed ahead with its measures which threaten the presence of the Southern Sudanese nationals in Sudan," he noted.

According to the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission, the number of the Southern Sudanese refugees who fled the violence in their country to Sudan amounted to 352,000.

These South Sudanese refugees are distributed in 14 Sudanese states, but the majority are in Khartoum state which hosts 142,000 refugees, followed by White Nile state where there are 93,200 refugees.

In September 2012, Sudan and South Sudan signed a cooperation agreement in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa under the patronage of the African Union.

The agreement included a package of understandings related to security, citizens' status, border and economic issues and others relating to oil and trade.

However, the signed agreements did not tackle the issues of Abyei and border demarcation.

The border issue constitutes one of the biggest barriers hampering the settlement of differences between Sudan and South Sudan, which involves disputes over five border areas, including Abyei, Dabatal-Fakhar, Jabel Al-Migainis, Samaha and Kafia Kanji. Endit