Sudan's Bashir 'Accepts' Kiir Invite to Summit
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has accepted an invitation to visit South Sudan, his press secretary said on Tuesday, in the latest sign of easing tensions after border clashes.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir telephoned Bashir with the invitation but no date for a summit has been set, said the presidential press secretary, Emad Sayed Ahmed.
"Yes, Salva Kiir asked President Bashir to visit Juba and he accepted the request," Ahmed told Agence France Presse.
The meeting would be Bashir's first trip to Juba since he attended South Sudan's declaration of independence on July 9, 2011, following a near-unanimous referendum vote for separation after a 22-year civil war.
Independence left key issues unresolved, including how much the South should pay for shipping its oil through Sudanese pipelines for export.
South Sudan stopped all of its crude production early last year, cutting off most of its revenue after accusing Khartoum of theft.
The two nations fought along their undemarcated border last March and April but in September signed deals to resume the oil flow and demilitarize the disputed frontier.
Under timetables signed on Tuesday and last Friday, both sides pledged to finally implement those agreements.
Source: Agence France Presse
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