Khartoum: The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (Organization of the Islamic Conference earlier), Professor Ekmal Al Deen Ehsanoglu, welcomed the birth of the State of South Sudan on Saturday, 9 July 2011, as part of the implementation of the results of the referendum on self-determination for the south of Sudan, which was conducted on 9 January 2011.
The Secretary General expressed appreciation to the Sudanese government for recognizing the new state of South Sudan and stressed the need to maintain peaceful relations between the two countries.
He further stressed on strengthening the strong ties between Khartoum and Juba to consolidate peace and promote economic and social development in both countries. He also called on the two countries to reach as soon as possible a negotiated settlement of the outstanding issues in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Eyeing oil, China promises strong ties with South Sudan
Chinese President Hu Jintao congratulated South Sudan on its independence, promising strong ties between the two countries, as China seeks to retain its access to Sudanese oil supplies.
China has long had close relations with the government in Khartoum, but has been moving to ensure it also remains friendly with South Sudan, where the majority of the old unified Sudan's oil reserves were.
"Although China and the Republic of South Sudan are separated by thousands of miles, the two peoples have a deep traditional friendship and common wish to enhance friendly exchanges," Hu told President Salva Kiir in a telephone call.
"China's establishment of diplomatic ties with South Sudan has opened a new chapter in relations between the two countries," Hu said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry late on Saturday on its website.
China is willing to "establish a long-term, friendly and stable cooperative relationship with South Sudan, to the benefit of the peoples of both nations", Hu added. While China has been building ties with the emerging state in southern Sudan over the past few years, it remains a major supporter of the Khartoum government, and its top arms supplier.
China's Consul General in Juba, Li Zhiguo, was cited as saying in the Saturday edition of Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily that China was "friends with people in both north and south Sudan".
With three-quarters of the unified Sudan's oil being located in the south, cooperation in this field would be an important part of China and South Sudan's "mutually beneficial" relationship, Li added, without elaborating.
India among first countries to extend diplomatic relations with South Sudan
India has become one of the first nations to accord diplomatic recognition to South Sudan, the world’s youngest country which split away from Khartoum-ruled north after decades of brutal war that claimed nearly two million lives.
The recognition was accorded through a letter by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to South Sudan’s new President General Salva Kiir Mayardit, shortly after he assumed power at the Independence Day function in Juba on Saturday.
“On this historic occasion, the government of India extends formal recognition to the independent state of South Sudan,” the Prime Minister’s letter said. The letter was handed over to General Mayardit by India’s ambassador to Sudan A.K. Pandey, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Singh told reporters.
Officials accompanying Vice President Hamid Ansari, who attended South Sudan’s Independence Day function, said that India would soon be appointing its Ambassador in Juba. At present, India has a Consul General in Juba.
– With input from agencies
