On
Sudans'
Aug. 2
Deadline, Rice
Says "Lot to
Do," Of ICJ
Plans &
Oil Rumors
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 17 -- As
the August 2
deadline for
agreement
between
Sudan and
South Sudan
approaches,
Inner City
Press late on
July 16
asked US
Ambassador
Susan Rice if
she thought
the two
countries will
strike a deal
by then.
Rice
exclusively
told Inner
City Press
that "there's
a lot to get
done in a
short period
of time...
they ought
to."
This
followed
upbeat
coverage of
the one on one
meeting on
July 14
between
the two
countries'
presidents,
including
reports that
they had
agreed
on an $8 a
barrel oil
transfer fee,
much lower
than the $36 a
barrel
Khartoum had
demanded, but
up from Juba's
less than $1 a
barrel offer
back on the
arrangement
between Chad
and Cameroon.
Last
week,
well placed
sources told
Inner City
Press that
South Sudan is
opposing any
extension of
the August 2
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
the
July 13 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."
But
what's
the US
position on
extending the
August 2
deadline? Or
would
the US fully
support South
Sudan taking
the border
issue to the
Hague? Watch
this site.
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