Al-Bashir to visit South Sudan for talks

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will travel to South Sudan on Friday in attempts to ease tensions between the neighbouring states, according to presidential sources. Sudan’s leader will head a senior delegation to the South Sudanese capital, Juba, to discuss peace negotiations and build on previous agreements. "It's confirmed that President al-Bashir will visit Juba this Friday, on invitation from South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, with aides, cabinet ministers and security officials,” presidential spokesman Emad Sayed Ahmed said in a statement. British Foreign Office Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, has meanwhile welcomed “progress” in negotiations between Sudan and its southern neighbour. “Full implementation of the oil and security agreements, and transparency of all revenues and fees, will benefit the people of both countries,” Simmonds said in a statement. Last week South Sudan agreed to restart oil transfers through pipelines passing through Sudan. South Sudan’s ambassador to Khartoum Mian Dutt has also expressed his hopes that oil cooperation could help ease tensions between the two countries. The visit marks President al-Bashir’s first since he attended South Sudan’s independence ceremony in July 2011.