Sudan has endorsed the African Union’s (AU) roadmap to avert an all-out war with South Sudan, though it insisted on retaining the right to self-defence.

Earlier on Thursday, South Sudan said it had accepted the AU’s seven-point roadmap that called for a cessation of hostilities.

Based on the seven-point roadmap, the two countries have until next Tuesday to restart stalled negotiations and three months to reach an agreement.

The AU is trying to get the two sides to again negotiate the countries’ shared border, citizenship matters and oil revenue sharing.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution threatening Khartoum and Juba with sanctions if they failed to silence the guns and resume talks within two weeks, endorsing the AU’s deadline of May 8.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday accepting the AU plan as well as the UN resolution. But with its reference to self-defense, the Sudanese statement also implied possible continued conflict.

The statement said Sudan wished the other side would fully commit to stopping hostilities and would withdraw its troops from disputed areas so that Sudan could do the same.

The foreign ministry also said Khartoum was committed to a long-standing peace with the South and hoped Juba would cooperate with the AU and Security Council decisions.  Read more…