Brussels, 05/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has expressed concern about fighting along the border between north and south Sudan, just days before the south breaks away to form a new country. In talks with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti, Ashton said she was “seriously concerned about the reports of what was happening in Southern Kordofan, particularly the impact on civilians”, according to a statement released by her office on Tuesday 5 July. Fighting between the Sudanese army and Nuba militia in the ethnically divided state has heightened tensions ahead of the independence ceremony on Saturday, which Ashton will attend. She called on all parties to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible, and for the continued presence of UN peacekeepers in both countries after the south declares independence on 9 July.
The European Union stands ready to support south Sudan massively, but it faces daunting challenges. The over-arching aim is to reduce poverty and bolster security in the Horn of Africa, in part to stop instability, potentially in the form of terrorism, being exported to EU capitals. Any protracted conflict in Sudan - Africa's biggest country, with oil in the south, where some two million people have died in decades of civil war - could further undermine regional stability. Brussels has promised to help the north and south to build their institutions and live peacefully together. It will aid them to fight poverty and coordinate international support for the south, under UN leadership, as well as study ways to provide debt relief. If requested, the EU is also ready to help southern Sudan form a police and border force, an EU official said. “A lot of challenges remain, and the current situation in southern Sudan remains more volatile than one would wish”, the official warned.
The EU has been funnelling some €350 million in development and conflict-prevention aid into north and south Sudan. Helping to build a new state in the south will take years, yet with conflict threatening, the process is also a race against time. “You need quick wins in south Sudan”, a European Commission official said. He explained that the EU and donors will work together to deliver output and to build the capacity necessary to absorb aid money at the same time.
The EU is also keen not to alienate northern Sudan. But the fact that Khartoum has not ratified the Cotonou Agreement, with human rights provisions and recognition of the International Criminal Court (ICC), means that Brussels cannot provide aid from its development funds. Officials said they expect south Sudan to ratify the accord after it declares independence. (LoC)