AU Lauds Sudan, South Sudan Oil Deal

The African Union expressed appreciation for an agreement between Sudan and South Sudan regarding financial aspects of oil exports.
AU mediators helped broker an agreement on oil finances following talks in Ethiopia.
The African Union, in a statement, said it "appreciates the important agreement reached between the parties regarding all financial matters relating to the export of South Sudan's oil through Port Sudan."
Issues unresolved by the 2005 agreement that led to South Sudan's independence left borders unclear, however. The African Union called on the parties involved to reach agreement on all oil-related issues in order to facilitate the resumption of oil production and transportation.
A committee in the disputed border region of Abyei was called on to set up a police service to protect oil infrastructure in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who visited the region as part of a tour of African nations, said the agreement reflected a bilateral spirit of compromise.
"The oil impasse has lasted more than six months," she said in a statement. "Now was the time to bring this impasse to a close, for the good of the people of South Sudan and their aspirations for a better future in the face of ongoing challenges."