Secretary-General Deeply Concerned by Continuing Tensions along Border Between

 

Sudan, South Sudan; Urges Parties to Use Current Negotiations to Defuse Crisis

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by continuing tensions along the border between Sudan and South Sudan as well as the current oil crisis.  This situation indicates a worrying deterioration in the relationship between the two States.

The United Nations fully supports the efforts of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to resolve these and other outstanding issues between the parties based on the concepts of mutual viability, security and peaceful coexistence.

The Secretary-General strongly urges the parties to do everything possible to reach agreement in their current negotiations in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the AUHIP, to defuse the current oil crisis, and address the other contentious issues on the agenda that require immediate resolution.  The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Haile Menkerios, remains on the ground, engaged to assist the negotiations in collaboration with the AUHIP.

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For information media • not an official record