IRELAND IS committed to supporting the fledgling nation of South Sudan, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore has said.
Mr Gilmore made the pledge after he announced that the Government had recognised the Republic of South Sudan following its declaration of independence on Saturday. Ireland was represented at the independence ceremonies in Juba by its Ambassador to Ethiopia Sile Maguire.
The Tánaiste paid tribute to what he called “the concrete expression of the will of the southern Sudanese people” following their overwhelming vote in favour of independence in January.
“Ireland has a long history of providing humanitarian assistance in both parts of Sudan and the Government is committed to supporting the fledgling country as the new government in Juba takes responsibility for the future of its people,” he said.
“Ireland will play its part internationally to help resolve outstanding issues between Sudan and South Sudan, and will also seek to provide what assistance we can to the very vulnerable population of the new State.” Mr Gilmore noted that a number of contentious issues between South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan, including border demarcation and oil revenues, remain outstanding. “The international community must remain engaged to find ways in which these issues can be resolved,” he said. “The establishment of normal relations between the Government of the Republic of Sudan and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is important not only for their own peoples, but also for the region as a whole.”
The Tánaiste said “I welcome the recent agreement between the parties on political and security arrangements in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan but call on them to conclude a cessation of hostilities agreement as a matter of urgency and to allow full humanitarian access.”
He also urged the two governments to respect the agreement on the oil-rich border area of Abyei and co-operate fully with the Ethiopian peacekeeping mission and the UN as it seeks to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground.
A team from Irish Aid, the Government’s overseas development arm, recently visited South Sudan to assess needs. Ireland funds UN agencies and NGOs working in the region, including Concern, World Vision, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Goal.