Sudan's NCP reiterates commitment to negotiations with S. Sudan

Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) reiterated on Wednesday its commitment to negotiations with South Sudan on their remaining issues since the oil-rich South gained independence five months ago, the official SUNA news agency reported. "We are committed to any timetable (for negotiations) set by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) that our partners in South Sudan will abide by," SUNA quoted NCP Information Secretary Ibrahim Ghandour as saying. Sudan and South Sudan are holding talks on several outstanding issues, including border demarcation and disputes over oil fields, under the mediation of the AUHIP headed by former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. South Sudan officially declared independence on July 9 in accordance to the results of a referendum half a year earlier set by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005. South Sudan's Investment Minister Deng Garang told reporters in Juba on Monday that his government had received notification of suspension of talks from Khartoum. Garang said South Sudan would not engage in talks on oil if Mbeki failed to come up with an acceptable proposal. He also said South Sudan is willing to negotiate for a comprehensive solution that answers to all pending issues between the two countries.