AU Urges Sudan, S. Sudan To Act Responsibly

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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In a press statement released on Tuesday 17/04/2012 by African Union (AU) in Ethiopian Capital of Addis Ababa, the AU continues to be gravely concerned by the prevailing logic of war between Sudan and South Sudan, and notes with particular concern the escalation of military operations as well as the recent troops movement into and around Abyei.

These flagrant violations of the 20th June Agreement on the Temporary Security Administrative Agreements for Abyei are unacceptable.

The AU reiterates its demand that the remaining 300 Sudan Armed Forces in Abyei and 700 South Sudan Police Forces to immediately and unconditionally be redeployed out of the Abyei area.

The AU fully supports the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and its efforts to foster security and assist the Abyei joint oversight Committee through its facilitator.

The AU calls upon the two Counties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions and to act responsibly in the spirit of cooperation in pursuit of establishing two viable states. In this respect, the AU recalls the draft decisions of the joint political and security mechanism (JPSM), proposed to the parties by the African Union – Level high Implementation Panel (AUHIP), on 4th   April 2012, which provide a sound basic for establishing mutual security along the common border between Sudan and South Sudan and, to this end, urges the parties to: – scrupulously implement agreements already entered into, which are sufficient by themselves to address the principal concerns of the parties. 
   
These include especially the 18th September 2011 decisions of the JPSM and the 10th February 2012 Memorandum of Understanding on Non Aggression and Cooperation;
– Insure that their respective armed forces adhere scrupulously to relevant provisions of human rights law and international humanitarian law, with respect to the protection of civilians, prisoners of war and the wounded; 
– Respect and protect the oil installations related infrastructure both in the north and south, recognizing that these are the property of the people of north and south Sudan respectively.

For the purposes of defusing the current tension and taking the necessary practical measures to disengage their respective armed forces, the AU urges the two Countries to adopt a security and administrative centreline for border.

This centreline should be based upon the border as it existed on 1January 1956, following the delineation in those areas in which it has been agreed, and respecting the administrative arrangement as they existed on the ground on 9th July 2011.  

The AU emphasizes that such an arrangement in no way prejudices the final resolution of the status of the disputed areas and the claims that can be made by either side.

The AU continues to make available the services of its border programme (AUBP), which stands ready to assist the parties in resolving their concerns in the delineation, demarcation and the resolution of disputed area based on African best practices and international principles. The parties are urged to pay attention to international principles.

The parties urged to pay attention to the option of using best practices for resolving border issues, and are reminded that unilateral action does not increase their claims to any territory.