Khartoum awarded Sudan's oil-rich region; China applauds decision
LONDON — The Khartoum regime has been awarded control over crude oil
reserves in southern Sudan.
An international arbitration panel has ruled that the Khartoum
government was responsible for the disputed Abyei region in southern Sudan.
Abyei has been the source of a long dispute between Khartoum and the
government in southern Sudan.
China, which is heavily invested in the oil assets of the region, welcomed the decision.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, hailed the willingness of both sides to accept the ruling issued on Wednesday by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
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"We welcome the fact that the oil fields are now excluded from the Abyei
area, particularly the Heglig oil field," Khartoum delegation chief Dirdeiry
Mohammed Ahmad said after the ruling on July 22.
Both northern and southern Sudan had pledged to honor any ruling by the
Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.
In a 4-1 decision, the panel
determined that Heglig as well as the Nile oil pipeline would come under
Khartoum's control.
