Editorial: Al Bashir-Kiir AUHIP Proposed Summit

The Sudanese Government has agreed to AUHIP's proposal to arrange a summit meeting between President Omer Al Bashir and President Salva Kiir Mayardit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to push negotiations forward to settle outstanding issues between the two countries.
Sudan's delegation to the talks in Addis Ababa issued a press release saying Sudan accepted in principal the AUHIP's invitation for a summit meeting between President Al Bashir and President Salva Kiir and the time would be fixed later on.
The release expressed hope that the two parties would make full use of the opportunity until the holding of the summit to achieve breakthrough so that the upcoming summit is successful.
However, the AU is still hoping that a joint meeting between the two Presidents will make a breakthrough in the current round of talks between Sudan and South Sudan, after the proposed meeting scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa failed due its timing which coincide with a planned visit from Al Bashir to Qatar.
We believe that just a meeting between the two Presidents will not resolve the outstanding issue unless there are well prepared work and several alternatives on the disputed issues.
Such well studies alternatives should be tabled before the summit of the two leaders to enable them – after discussion – come out with reasonable decisions that could be implemented immediately.
However, any meeting that takes place under any kind of pressures will not lead to practical results.
It would be better that such a summit is organized after adequate preparations.
If the AUHIP wants a successful summit, if its date is agreed on, then the delegations of both Sudan and South Sudan, besides the AUHIP should move to achieve an actual progress in the current round of talks.
They should determine the disputed issues and present the proposed alternative resolutions by each side to the proposed summit to reach a reconciliatory resolution.
This is the only way to make the proposed summit a success.
Without adhering to this methodology the proposed joint summit will not achieve the aspired goal.
It will be just a public relations exercise!