By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 12 -- The actual “Implementation Matrix for Agreements” between Sudan and South Sudan which threw the UN Security Council into turmoil on March 12 is 16 pages long and puts many due dates off into the future.
Inner City Press has obtained a copy of the Matrix and puts it online here.
The portion most reported in international media is point 9 of 9, on oil “and related economic matters.”
In 14 days South Sudan is to instruct oil companies to re-establish oil production, and Sudan to re-establish processing and transportation. But the processing and transportation agreements won't be done for 150 days (Section 10.8).
Also in 14 days, the UNISFA force commander is to report on withdrawals. On Tuesday, UN Secretary General named another (Ethiopian) force commander for the all Ethiopian UN Peacekeeping mission in Abyei.
The Abyei Police Service is to be constituted in 30 days. A Joint Central Banks Committee is to be established in five days. Much longer term, it is said, Sudan will take all necessary action to reach the HIPC decision point, “consultations required with the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank” (Section 9.6).
For the Joint Border Verification Mechanism, land will be allocated in GokMachar in 16 days, and in Malakal and Buram in a month.
And if any of these things don't happen? Will another Presidential Statement or resolution be ready in the Council? Watch this site.
