Sudan, South Sudan to strengthen border security

November 9, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan and Sudan have embarked on strengthening border security mechanisms to track illicit movement and activities to facilitate trade.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, the Director General at the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration, Major Gen. Atem Marol Biar said they are harmonizing ways through which joint monitoring and verification mechanisms can provide reliable information on movement and unauthorised activities at the border.

“There is this idea of ​​soft borders for economic reasons. This is being exploited by people who take advantage of the lack of knowledge of our people in rural areas.  Within the framework of joint border monitoring and verification mechanism, we have been working together with Sudan and partners to address this through Joint Political Security Mechanism”, explained Biar.

He said they received reports of undocumented people moving across borders.

“This is becoming a security concern because some of the people using these border crossings do not either stop here [South Sudan] or Sudan. They use it as a conduit to other places. Some go to Europe through Libya from Darfur. Some use it to come to Africa,” noted Biar.

He added, “This is a big security concern and the reason we decided to coordinate and manage our borders”.

According to the top immigration official, security officials from Sudan and South Sudan are scheduled to meet before the Christmas season at a venue yet to be decided upon.

The last joint political security mechanism was held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Biar commended the work of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for helping the Ministry of the Interior, through the Directorate of the Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration to build six border posts in the young nation.

Part of this initiative, he said, was largely funded by the Japanese government to build the immigration and border management capacity of the young nation.

South Sudan is geographically located in a region with significant instability and high terrorism threats. The country has vast, porous land borders and rapidly increasing cross-border movements of people and goods, making border management and security not only a national, but regional and international concern.

(ST)