Central African Republic and Sudan discuss formation of joint border patrols
February 27, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — The Central African Republic (CAR) is willing to form with the Sudan a joint force to monitor the border between the two neighbouring countries, visiting defense minister Jean Francis said Monday in Khartoum.
The minister met with Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir on Monday to discuss the formation of this force which Sudan asks for since more than a year to enhance a deal with Chad to monitor Darfur border signed in January 2010. Defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein attended the meeting.
Speaking to reporters following his encounter with Bashir, Francis said they discussed the formation of joint patrols between Sudan, Chad and Central African Republic to monitor the border between the three countries.
The CAF’s minister further said despite the lack of any tensions between the two neighbours, the ongoing regional developments have pushed his country to seek the joint force.
Sudan and Chad who supported during several years rebel groups from both sides, signed the 2010 deal as part of confidence building measures to normalize bilateral relations. They also expelled the rebel groups from their territories.
However, they thought to include the Central African Republic because Chadian and Sudanese rebels moved to the unstable country where the Ugandan Lord Resistance Army (LRA) took refuge also.
The CAR is linked by security and military cooperation pacts with Chad and the colonial power, France to maintain the regime and protect it against war lords and rebel groups in different parts of the country.
The Central African Republic is the second African country, after Ethiopia, to have a joint border with both Sudan and South Sudan. The infiltration of Darfur rebel groups who are operating now in South Kordofan to Western Sudan seemingly pushed Bangui to seek this deal to avoid further troubles in the future.
Uganda, which accuses Sudan of supporting the LRA, has deployed troops in the Central African Republic to pursue the notorious Joseph Kony fighters. In October 2011 some US military advisers joined the Ugandan army to support them in the fight against the rebels.