Economy News

CEPO welcomes oil deal

The programme coordinator for the Community Empowerment Organization for Progress (CEPO) Edmund Yakani has welcomed the oil agreement between South Sudan and Sudan.

Speaking to Radio Miraya on Sunday, Yakani said the oil deal should be backed by a mutual peace agreement without international pressure.

"We wish to see a peace deal reached voluntarily between the two negotiating teams," said Yakani.

Despite welcoming the oil deal, Yakani remained skeptical if the deal will last long.

"I am worried of this recent deal. It was reached through international pressure as you heard from our government chief mediator, saying it was a pressure from UK and US," he said.

"If the pressure lets loose, then the people will go back to where they come from. So we are urging them to agree voluntarily."

The civil society activist urged the international community to monitor military mobilization along the border between the two countries.

"We have a border monitoring exercise. We can see the military movement and military activities at the border are a bit alarming".

He was more concerned about reported activities of rebel leader David Yau Yau. He called on the international community to put pressure on Sudan to stop military activity along the borderline.

CEPO is a local civil society group working in areas of good governance, human rights, peace and the rule of law.