CAR prime minister discusses security cooperation with Sudanese officials
June 13, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The prime minster of the Central African Republic (CAR), Andre Nzapayeke, ended a three-day visit to Sudan on Friday after talks with Sudanese officials on bilateral relations particularly security cooperation.
In a meeting with president al-Bashir on Thursday, Nzapayeke discussed the reactivation of joint border force agreed by the two countries and ways to enhance security cooperation.
Following a meeting with Bashir, Nzapayeke told reporters that the meeting tackled the training of the CAR army in order “to assist Bangui to protect its borders and national security”.
The visiting prime minister who handed over a letter to Bashir from his CAR counterpart, Catherine Samba-Panza, further said they demanded Sudan to support the national dialogue and reconciliation process in the troubled country before the general elections scheduled for February 2015.
Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands fled the country. Also Muslim population were forced by Christian militiamen to move out of the capital since the collapse of the regime of president Michel Djotodi in Januray of this year.
Sudan, CAR and Chad had a joint force deployed on the border between the three countries since the time of president Francois Bozize. The border force was directed against rebel groups in western Sudan, eastern and southern Chad and northern CAR.
Last April, Chad withdrew its contingent from the African Union force deployed in the neighbouring country after accusations of backing the former Muslim president.
Khartoum vowed to ease the tension between the two countries to re-operationalise the joint force between three countries.
Nzapayeke also discussed the reformation and training of the CAR army and police forces with the Sudanese defence and interior ministers.
Last May, CAR speaker Alexandre Ferdinand Nguendet was in Khartoum where he held similar talks with the Sudanese officials and asked Sudan to support the ongoing efforts to stabilise the security situation and restore constitutional order in his country.
(ST)