By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 3 --
During the International
Monetary
Fund's Spring
Meeting last
month,
Inner City
Press asked
the the
spokesperson
for
the IMF's
Masood Ahmed
about the
conflict
between Sudan
and South
Sudan:
after
the
press
conference, in
which my
question was
about Egypt,
I asked
Masood Ahmed
about Sudan,
South Sudan
and the IMF,
on which he's
written, and
specifically
his / the
IMF's view of
the oil
transfer fee
(and impact of
stopping oil
pumping and
destroying the
Heglig
field). I was
told to email
the question
so here it is:
I cover the
UN, and Sudan
diplomats say
they want $34
a barrel
transfer fee,
South Sudan
offers some 40
cents, citing
example of
Chad to
Cameroon,
and Azerbaijan
to Turkey.
What is the
IMF's view of
this oil
transfer
fee issue?
But
even as, or
because, the
conflict
military and
diplomatic
around Heglig
continued
to heat up,
the IMF never
answered.
And
so to the
IMF's
bi-weekly
embargoed
briefing on
May 3 Inner
City Press,
from in
front
of the UN
Security
Council where
the day prior
Sudan's
Ambassador
spoke of an
investigation
and possible
reparations
for
Heglig,
resubmitted
the above
question as
well as a
question about
Romania.
Lead
IMF spokesman
Gerry Rice on
camera
answered the
Romania
question,
saying that
even
after the fall
of the
government the
IMF mission
remains in
dialogue
and will
report back.
On
the
reformulated
Sudans
question, the
IMF replied:
In
response to
your question
on South Sudan
during today’s
press
briefing, you
can attribute
this to an IMF
spokesperson:
"Conflict
in
border areas
and a
prolonged
shutdown of
oil production
will have
serious
implications
on both
countries'
economies and
people's
livelihoods.
We look
forward to a
mutually
beneficial
resolution of
oil and other
bilateral
issues as soon
as possible."
While
appreciated,
this was the
question posed
by Inner City
Press:
"What
is
the IMF doing
in Sudan and
South Sudan
given the
economic and
oil
transfer fee
roots of the
conflict
between them?
South Sudan
cites
the IMF for
the less than
a dollar a
barrel
transfer fee
it proposes.
I asked Ahmed
Masood during
the Spring
meeting but
have not heard
back. What IS
the IMF's
position?"
So
Inner City
Press has
asked again,
and is now
told "Sure.
Will get back
to
you on this."
Watch this
site.
