South Sudan/Sudan (Abyei)

Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union (AU) panel mediating talks between Sudan and South Sudan, is preparing a draft comprehensive agreement on all outstanding issues between the two neighbor as well as another one for Khartoum and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).

Sudanese negotiators on Monday dismissed as “nothing new” what their South Sudanese counterparts have termed as the “last offer” to resolve the two countries’ disputes over oil transit fees and the status of Abyei, in the latest setback to talks bound by a UN deadline due to end in nine days.

South Sudan on Saturday said that the United Nations has “officially” confirmed the illegal presence of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in the oil contested border of Abyei, describing presence of the forces as violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046.

Sudan will keep police forces in the disputed Abyei region bordering South Sudan for now, the state news agency said, defying a call by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to withdraw.

Sudanese troops on Tuesday withdrew from the disputed territory of Abyei, a UN spokesman told AFP. Rival South Sudan had already pulled its security forces out of Abyei in line with a UN Security Council demand for both sides to demilitarize the territory.

In a new resolution, the Security Council today extended by six months the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Abyei, an area contested by South Sudan and Sudan, and demanded that the two countries finalize the establishment of an administration for the area in line with an agreement signed last year.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed South Sudan's decision to withdraw its police force from the disputed area of Abyei , and strongly urged neighbouring Sudan to pull out its police from the area as well, in accordance with the agreement both parties signed in June last year.

South Sudan said on Monday it is completing withdrawal processes of police forces from the contested area of Abyei, apparently in conformity with the United Nations Security Council resolution endorsing roadmap of the Africa Union Peace and Security Commission.

South Sudan informed the United Nations Sunday that it intends to withdraw all its police from the disputed Abyei region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, a letter from the UN’s newest member told the world body. The announcement appears to be an attempt to recover from the diplomatic fallout of South Sudan’s occupation of another contested region, Heglig, which borders Abyei.

South Sudan said on Monday it is optimistic that it will sign an agreement, ending a dispute over the contested region of Abyei if the two sides resume discussions with the new spirit of mutual benefit, especially in the upcoming summit scheduled to take place between the two heads of state.