Khartoum states commitment to peace

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- The Sudanese government is committed to settling its border issues with the newly independent South Sudan, the foreign minister told the U.N. General Assembly.

South Sudan became an independent nation in July. Its independence was part of a 2005 peace agreement that ended the country's bloody civil war. Ongoing disputes over oil revenue and border skirmishes, however, threaten to undermine the peace.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti told the U.N. General Assembly that Khartoum recognized South Sudan's independence for the sake of peace. In the era of globalization, he said, it didn't mean a "final divorce."

Khartoum, he added, was committed to settling all of the problems related to the 2005 peace agreement, especially the border and oil revenue issues.

The Sudanese government has deflected criticism of skirmishes in Blue Nile and South Kordofan state along the border with South Sudan. Independent monitors expressed concern that much of the regional violence along the border was ethnically motivated.

The minister added that he expected U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to give special credit to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for his work toward peace in the region. His actions, the minister said, were those of peace and not deserving of accusations from the International Criminal Court.

Bashir is wanted by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity committed since 2003 in Darfur.