Editorial: The AU Roadmap .. The Breakthrough

In the new, the mini-committee comprising the (AUHIP), Sudanese and South Sudanese negotiators held its first meeting and received proposals on the schedule of the talks.
The mini-committee was formed as part of the ongoing negotiating process between Sudan and South Sudan in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa under the mediation of the AUHIP led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
It includes three representatives from each of Sudan and South Sudan as well as two members of the AUHIP.
The committee received proposals from Sudan and South Sudan’s negotiators on a schedule for the talks.
Sudanese delegation proposal stressed the necessity of starting the negotiations on security issues through the joint military committee between the two countries.
Sudan’s delegation said that the ongoing meetings would be focused on determining the priorities of the talks.
AU mediators had received the proposals and gave the two sides a conciliatory proposal for approval as a roadmap for the talks.
As a result the talks achieved a considerable breakthrough when the negotiators agreed to start with the security arrangements issue which will allow for the joint political/security committee to meet tomorrow.
The joint political/security mechanism includes the ministers of defence and interior of Sudan and South Sudan, besides the directors of security and intelligence.
It is expected that an agreement will be reached to stop hostilities and supports the opposition movements besides activating the borders protection mechanisms.
The agreement of the two parties after only 72 hours from the start of the talks is but a positive indicator to reach a deal over all the outstanding issue in short time.
It is true that the negotiations tactics usually lead to postponing the signature of any agreement over one of the files; but it is also true that the deteriorated economic situation in South Sudan will force its negotiators to avoid any wrangling to save their state from the economic collapse.
To start with the security arrangements file doesn’t mean ignoring the other outstanding issues, but it is an indication towards the good intentions.
Reaching an agreement over the security issues means that any agreement over the other outstanding issues is protected because borders, Abyei, and oil issues need a security agreement first to guarantee its sustainability.
Pumping oil requires providing security as well as the borders demarcation and Abyei.
Let us hope that this breakthrough lead to reaching an ultimate solution.