North and south Sudanese defense ministers agree upon key security

By Julius N. Uma

March 26, 2011 (JUBA) – Officials from north and south Sudan’s defense ministries have unanimously endorsed and agreed upon key security issues following the South’s vote for independence in a referendum in January, perhaps ending months of bickering and counter accusations.

The resolution was the outcome of Wednesday’s close-door meeting held in the South Sudan capital, Juba under the mediation of Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan (AUHIP).

Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the federal government’s defense minister and Nhial Deng Nhial, the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) affairs minister signed the agreement, which was witnessed by Mbeki.

Both ministers, according to a March 23 AUHIP communiqué, agreed on a joint position paper on security arrangements, police issues, National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) issues and arrangements, and security cluster issues requiring political guidance.

“The ministers further agreed to continue negotiations in order to continue reach a full and comprehensive agreement on security issues,” the AUHIP statement said.

Also discussed, according to the March 23 communiqué, were issues pertaining definition of security zones along the north-south border, extension of the UN mandate in Sudan, the fate of the SPLA and Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) in and from southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The meeting further resolved to convene another special session in the next few days as a mechanism of ensuring that all that was discussed was being implemented in letter and spirit.

Mbeki lauded the commitment shown by both ministers and remained optimistic that what they discussed will fully be made operational.

The one-day security meeting comes less than a month after the south-ruling party extensively publicized what it claimed were leaked documents obtained from the Khartoum regime detailing the latter’s alleged support to militias in the South.

The documents, spanning from 2008-2010 contained information the Sudan’s defense ministry, military high command, the logistical department and the national intelligence unit.
Senior officials from the Khartoum regime have distanced themselves from the allegations, saying the southern government presented “fabricated” documents.

(ST)