Addis Ababa, 11 April 2012: The African Union (AU) expresses grave concern at the escalating armed conflict on the border between Sudan and South Sudan and calls upon both parties to exercise utmost restraint and to respect the territorial integrity of the other State. In particular, the African Union notes with alarm the occupation of Heglig by the armed forces of the Republic of South Sudan, and calls for their immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

 

The African Union recalls the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Non-Aggression and Cooperation signed by the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan in Addis Ababa on 10 February 2012, and calls upon both Parties to respect the provisions contained therein, including respect for the territorial integrity of the other State and the prohibition on either State from supporting opposition armed groups and movements within the other State.

 

The African Union also affirms that, consonant with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, that the border between Sudan and South Sudan shall be the boundary of 1 January 1956, taking into account the agreed disputed areas.

 

The African Union calls upon each Party to withdraw any armed forces that may be in the territory of the other State to its own territory with immediate effect. The AU also calls upon the Parties to cease aerial bombardment and the harbouring and supporting of rebel forces and movements from the other State.

 

The African Union calls upon Sudan and South Sudan to implement without delay the tasks detailed in the 18 September 2011 Decision of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, which inter alia establishes the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission (JBVMM), and to implement the provisions of UN Security Resolution 2024 of 14 December 2011 which mandates the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei to support the JBVMM.

 

The African Union commends the efforts of the AU High Level Implementation Panel and calls upon the Parties to meet under the auspices of the AUHIP to resolve this and all other outstanding issues in a peaceful way in accordance with the overriding principle of establishing two viable states in Sudan and South Sudan.

 

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