20120723
AFP
A a new round of talks between Sudan, South Sudan and African Union mediators was poised to start here Sunday night, a spokesman for the South Sudanese delegation said.

"A few minutes ago they called the two chief chief negotiators to have a meeting with the panel," Atif Kiir, a spokesman for Juba's delegation told AFP early evening.

The latest round of talks comes one week after Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir exchanged a symbolic handshake at an AU summit.

On Saturday South Sudan said it was cancelling planned face-to-face peace talks with Sudan after accusing Khartoum of launching a new air raid on its territory.

Sudan denied bombing its southern neighbour, saying it had only targeted Darfuri rebels inside its own territory.

"We were left with no choice but to suspend our direct bilateral talks with Sudan," spokesman Kiir said Saturday, adding: "You cannot sit with them to negotiate when they are bombing our territory."

"The only negotiations that will happen now will happen through the panel," he said, referring to an African Union mediation panel conducting the talks in the Ethiopian capital.

The negotiations to settle disputes stemming from the South's independence in July last year stalled in April, but resumed in May.