Sudan and South Sudan have agreed on ways stabilizing economic and security cooperation between the two countries.
The decision was reached during Thursday’s meeting between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and the head of the Sovereign Council of Sudan Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in the capital, Juba.
The two leaders, according to a communique extended to Sudan Tribune, emphasized the importance of maintaining stability and security along the common borders to promote peace and prosperity for the two countries.
The two leaders also agreed to deploy joint patrols to halt the uncontrolled flow of arms and ammunition across the loosely-defined border.
“As the two countries are closely intertwined, instability or insecurity within one country can spill across the borders along the loosely-defined border,” partly reads the communique issued on Thursday.
Kiir and his counterpart also “agreed to establish a joint Security Force to prevent the infiltration of illegal weapons and to combat negative forces and their activities along the common borders”.
“The Heads of State reaffirm that consolidating internal peace in each of their two countries is the sole responsibility of their national security forces and also recognize that a bilateral collaborative approach can help effectively address internal security issues within the two countries,” it said.
The communique further said the two countries will establish regular meetings between their respective national security forces to share intelligence and coordinate actions to address potential threats.
The two countries said they are able to internally address these security challenges.
The two heads of state directed their respective concerned security sectors to launch the implementation of this decision as soon as possible.
The undersecretary of South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mayen Dut Wol said the two leaders discussed ways of stabilising political, economic and security cooperation and between the two nations.
For his part, Sudan’s undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dafallah Al-Haj Ali said the meeting focused on ways to fast-track the implementation of the peace accord, security issues and bilateral relations.
After the regime change in Sudan, Khartoum accepted an offer by President Kiir to mediate peace process with the armed groups saying ending Sudan’s internal conflicts means also peace in his country.
Khartoum and Juba had long-time traded accusations of support to respective rebel groups.
South Sudan and Sudan signed in September 2012 in Addis Ababa an agreement on petroleum sector matters, border security, border crossings, nationality and other issues.
Source: Sudan Tribune