South
Sudan Opposes
Any Mbeki
Extension,
Plans to Take
Border Issue
to
The Hague
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 13 --
Despite a
seeming
calming
between Sudan
and South
Sudan, Inner
City Press
learned from
well placed
sources Friday
that
South Sudan is
opposing any
extension of
the early
August
deadline,
and intends to
"take the
issue of the
border to the
Hague,"
the
International
Court of
Justice.
The
African
Union panel's
Thabo Mbeki is
now slated to
come and brief
the
UN Security
Council on
July 26.
Whereas at the
Council's
last session
on the issue
Sudan
emphasized
"progress"
that is being
made, and that
the Colombian
presidency of
the Council
for July said
the August
deadline
wasn't set in
store or "the
Bible,"
South Sudan
now disagrees.
South
Sudan
anticipates
that Mbeki
will come
painting a
positive
picture
and asking for
an extension.
And South
Sudan will
oppose any
extension,
saying they'll
take it to the
ICJ.
Another of
Mbeki's
panel members,
as exclusively
reported
by Inner City
Press, diagnosed
that
South Sudan is
betting the
Omar al Bashir
will be
overthrown,
now that he
cannot spend
revenue from
oil or oil
transfer fees.
The
austerity
protests are
growing.
At
Friday's
UN noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
again for any
Ban
Ki-moon or UN
reaction to
the
tear-gassing
and detention
of
protesters.
Ban's
spokesman
responded with
a generic
statement
about
the right to
protest. Oh,
and leaders
should listen
to their
people.
Meanwhile
Inner City
Press asked
for the United
STATES
position on
Sudan joining
the Human
Rights Council
and received
in return
this, from a
US official:
"We
are
obviously very
much opposed,
but this is
not a done
deal, and we
urge members
of the AU to
do the right
thing and stop
an
ICC-indicted
war criminal
from taking a
seat on the
Human Rights
Council."
We note
that the ICC,
like the ICJ,
is also in the
Hague. So
perhaps South
Sudan wants to
take Sudan to
The Hague is
two ways. But
what's
the US
position on
extending the
early August
deadline? Or
does the US
fully support
South Sudan
taking the
border issue
to the
Hague? Watch
this site.
, 
