Juba is interested in oil, not security

Mohamed al-Hassan al-Amin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Committee in the Sudanese National Assembly, has repeated his government’s commitment to the Addis Ababa Agreement. But security comes above everything else, Amin said in an interview with Arabstoday. “If South Sudan’s government wants to cross the Sudanese territory to transport their oil, then they should withdraw their troops near the borders, and they also should stop supporting armed groups in South Kordofan and Blue Nile,” said Amin. “The Sudanese government removed all militants from the army, while South Sudan has promoted some members of the armed militias and even gave some them a military rank. “They keep supporting the rebels. South Sudan has not honoured our demand: we asked the government to stop sending them military and financial aids or any other sort of help,” said the Chairman of the Security and Defence Committee. Amin added: “South Sudan seems to forget about their security obligations. They’re only interested in our trade agreements.” The Sudanese Defence Committee Chairman also accused southern leaders of pouring oil in the fire: “South Sudan has resuscitated the Abyei debate. Now the entire world is against our country because we stand our ground.” Regarding the US, who called on Sudan to implement the oil agreement as soon as possible, Amin declared that it will be implemented as soon as the security agreement on South Sudan’s side is respected: “The Addis Ababa agreement comes as a whole: we implement the oil deal, only if South Sudan respects their promises regarding security. America’s keenness on the oil agreement only reveals a hidden agenda,” concluded Amin.