SOUTH SUDAN / KIIR PRESSER

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir today rejected claims by Sudan that the South was supporting and backing opposition forces in Blue Nile State and Southern Kordofan which are against the government of Sudan. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:30
• Production Date: 10 November 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN – UNMISS
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U111110a

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / KIIR PRESSER
TRT: 2:30
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 NOVEMBER 2011 JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, President Salva Kiir walking into the conference hall
2. Med shot, diplomats and Government officials
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“It is unfortunate that the Government of the Republic of Sudan has been repeatedly accusing us to the UN Security Council that we are harbouring, supporting and backing and the opposition forces fighting the Sudan Government in Blue Nile and in South Kordofan states. I want to deny this before you that it is not true - these claims are just utterly baseless and they are just maliciously planned.”
4. Wide shot, people in press conference
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“We know the intentions of Khartoum are actually to run away from the real issues that they we are supposed to resolve. We have not resolved the issue of Abyei, we have not resolved the issue of the borders, we have not even resolved the issue of the debts and all the issues concerning the oil and many others. These are issues that we should sit down to resolve with Khartoum, not going back to war.”
6. Wide shot, people in press conference
7. Med shot, SPLA commanders
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“So President Bashir will know one thing that despite our commitment to peaceful co-existence, we will never accept anybody to violate our sovereignty, whatever the conditions may be, and those in Khartoum must remember these things, they must be reminded. It is not an easy task, it is easy to say but it is not easy to implement.”
9. Wide shot, people in press conference

Storyline

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Thursday rejected claims by Sudan that the South was supporting and backing opposition forces which are against the government of Sudan.

Speaking to members of the diplomatic community, journalists and high ranking South Sudan officials in the capital Juba, President Kiir said he believed in the viability of the two States living alongside peacefully.

SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“It is unfortunate that the Government of the Republic of Sudan has been repeatedly accusing us to the UN Security Council that we are harbouring, supporting and backing and the opposition forces fighting the Sudan Government in Blue Nile and in South Kordofan states. I want to deny this before you that it is not true - these claims are just utterly baseless and they are just maliciously planned.”

President Kiir also accused Khartoum of trying to divert attention from unresolved Comprehensive Agreement issues saying that war was not a solution.

SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“We know the intentions of Khartoum are actually to run away from the real issues that they we are supposed to resolve. We have not resolved the issue of Abyei, we have not resolved the issue of the borders, we have not even resolved the issue of the debts and all the issues concerning the oil and many others. These are issues that we should sit down to resolve with Khartoum, not going back to war.”

Bombings and air strikes by the Sudan Armed Forces have been witnessed in border States of South Kordofan and Blue Nile which lie next to South Sudan. Some of the areas hit have close proximity to South Sudan and on Tuesday November 8, an air-strike resulted in the deaths of 7 SPLA soldiers with six others injured.

SOUNDBITE (English) Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan:
“So President Bashir will know one thing that despite our commitment to peaceful co-existence, we will never accept anybody to violate our sovereignty, whatever the conditions may be, and those in Khartoum must remember these things, they must be reminded. It is not an easy task, it is easy to say but it is not easy to implement.”

Sudan has accused South Sudan for supporting the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North sector rebels.

In his speech, Kiir regretted that too much time was being spent on accusations, and he took the chance to highlight some developments in South Sudan during the first 100-days of the new country. He said his country had invested in education and health opportunities like measles vaccinations for over half a million children and training for close to 100 midwives so as to address high mortality rate. He also said 31 police stations had also been constructed.