Sudan’s Kiir briefed by Defense minister on security situation in Darfur

January 17, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The First Vice-President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayadrit, visited the headquarters of the Sudanese army in Khartoum where he was briefed about the security situation in the country and Darfur particularly.

Kiir’s visit comes after the massive deployment of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) troops in the three states of Darfur and southern Kordofan. Also, the Sudanese army monitors closely the Chadian border where the rebels of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) are supposed to be located.

The Sudanese Defense minister, Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, briefed Salva Kiir who is the commander in chief of the Southern Sudanese army (SPLA), about the security measures undertaken by the SAF to secure the country. The briefing was also attended by the General Staff in the Sudanese Ministry of Defence.

Kiir during the visit stressed the need for joint action for the sake of unity and the extension of the peace, the official SUNA news agency reported today.

The First Vice-President also stressed the need to accelerate the training of the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) of the SAF and SPLA to work as a team to support the peace and maintaining the unity of the country

The JIUs were envisaged to help build trust between the northern army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), who fought a bitter civil war for more than two decades.

While soldiers from both armies have been designated for the JIUs, in reality none of the units are living or training in the same barracks and the troops still wear different uniforms. However after clashes in Abyei last May, the two parties formed JIUs in Abyei with the support of UNMIS peacekeepers.

In another sign of cooperation, Salva Kiir had ordered the SPLA units in Khartoum to take part in the battle against a raid by the rebel JEM on the capital on May 10.

(ST)