Sudan And South Sudan Agree to Establish a Demilitarized Zone Along Their Common Border
Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to establish a demilitarized zone along their common border, former South African President Thabo Mbeki has announced.
The two sides were in talks in Ethiopia over the weekend over setting up the buffer zone along their disputed border.
Mbeki told a press conference in Addis Ababa on Saturday that both Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Omar el-Bashir have sealed their commitment to the deal which also include the resumption of oil exports which were suspended following the border dispute which degenerated into a short conflict last year.
According to Mbeki who mediated the deal on behalf of the African Union Juba and Khartoum have set the stage for a “joint unconditional" implementation of a deal first reached last September.
He was speaking in the presence of Presidents al-Bashir and Kiir who were in Addis Ababa to seal with deal but issued no comment.
The agreement comes as reports of renewed clashes along their border were reported.
AU mediators said shortly after the deal that they will set out a timetable for the implementation of all outstanding agreements between the two countries, a task that is expected to be completed by next week by which time the demilitarized zone would have been in place.
The differences between Sudan and its newly independent neighbor to the south include the dispute over transit fees from Juba to Khartoum over the use of oil, border demarcation, the ownership of Abyei, the status of citizens living as foreigners in each other’s countries, and accusations and counteraccusations of giving support to each other’s rebel groups.
Both countries have denied the charge.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
