The Sudanese government on Saturday downplayed South Sudan's announcement of its intention to construct a pipeline through eastern Africa to export its oil, regarding the move as a kind of political pressure by South Sudan.

"This announcement seems to be mere political maneuver and kind of political pressure by South Sudan government," Ishaq Bashir Jamma, State Minister at Sudan's Ministry of Petroleum, told Xinhua.

"Technically, South Sudan government cannot build a pipeline within 10 months. If the south actually embarked on the construction of this pipeline through eastern Africa, it will take between two to three years," he said.

He went on saying that "there are technical evidences that should be taken into consideration," citing the long distance of the pipeline, security disorders in eastern Africa and the nature of the region which is known for its several heights.

South Sudan has no better choice than continuing to export its oil through Sudan's territories, he said, noting that "the new pipeline will not be more secured than the north's pipelines."

"It is in the interest of the two sides to calmly sit at the negotiation table and refrain from escalating decisions which prevent reaching a political agreement on this file," he added.

The Sudanese minister held South Sudan responsible for stalling the negotiations in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, under the patronage of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, headed by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

"The negotiations are about to collapse because of the recent South Sudan's decision to stop pumping its crude oil. Every time South Sudan adopts the policy of political escalation, which aborts the efforts of the African mediation," he said.

South Sudan announced Saturday that it has started to take steps to build a new pipeline through eastern Africa to export its oil, adding that the project is expected to be completed within 10 months.

"We had to look for alternative route for exporting the oil after we have reached a deadlock with Sudan, which is exaggerating in the oil transit fees," Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudan's information minister and government spokesman, told Xinhua.

"We have started practical steps to rapidly construct a pipeline through eastern Africa, namely via Kenya and Uganda. We expect the pipeline to be completed in 10 months. We will also begin immediately the construction of a refinery in South Sudan," he added.

South Sudan government on Friday decided to stop the production of oil due to differences with Sudan over the exportation of South Sudan's oil through the Sudanese harbors.

Sudan and South Sudan are negotiating in Addis Ababa, under the mediation of the African Union, to reach an agreement over the oil issue.

South Sudan government says Sudan has embarked on shipping amounts of South Sudan's oil and selling them for its own benefits, while Sudan says it is deducting the transit fees in form of material oil.

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