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The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Jean Ping, has learnt with great concern of the fatal incident that occurred in the Yida Payam, Unity State of Southern Sudan, on 10 November 2011. He has also been keenly following the statements made by both the Government of the Republic of Sudan and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, relating to the situation prevailing along the north‐south border.

The Chairperson of the Commission urges both Governments to exercise utmost restraint and to refrain from any act that may further aggravate the already tense situation on their common border.

The Chairperson of the Commission wishes to recall that, in the communiqué issued following the inaugural State visit of President Salva Kiir Mayardit to the Republic of Sudan, on 8 and 9 October 2011, both Governments reaffirmed their principled and commendable commitment to building strategic and permanent good‐neighborly relations. To that end, they agreed that neither country would permit any act of aggression against the other and that security units in both countries would investigate and take immediate action with regard to accusations the two countries have been leveling against each other.

The Chairperson of the Commission strongly appeals to the two Governments to live up to their commitment as stated in that communiqué and to utilize mechanisms such as the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) to peacefully settle their differences, regardless of the nature of the problems that may arise. In this regard, it should be stressed that only by way of genuine cooperation and resorting to peaceful means in dealing with those problems, would Sudan and South Sudan be capable of building two viable States, in the best interest of their brotherly peoples.

The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates AU’s resolve, especially through the continued engagement of the African Union High‐Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), whose mandate has recently been renewed by the Peace and Security Council (PSC), to assist the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan to address the various challenges they face.