Sudan, South Sudan security committee to continue talks in Khartoum
November 8, 2012 (JUBA/KHARTOUM) — The Sudan-South Sudan security committee concluded its meeting in Juba without announcing the start of implementation process of a deal reached last September including a number of security arrangements.
Since Tuesday reports emerged from Juba saying South Sudan refused a demand formulated by the Sudanese side asking to deploy joint patrols along the common border in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states where the Sudanese army fight the SPLM-North rebels.
The buffer zone, in accordance with the signed deal, will be established in the five disputed areas.
However, South Sudanese minister John Kong Nyuon and his Sudanese counterpart Abdel-Rahim Hussein following the end of talks reaffirmed their commitment to implement the security arrangements saying they agreed on the establishment of the buffer zone and the monitoring mechanism.
They also said they had deferred some of the agenda to the next meeting, which will be held in Khartoum, but its date is not yet fixed.
Abdel-Rahim said “there are some divergences over certain issues and we are determined to tackle it and to settle it” he further pointed out that the presidents of the two countries are resolved to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Asked by reporters in Juba about the issues where the two parties disagree, the Sudanese minister declined to elaborate on it saying that the parties are resolved to settle it .
After his return to Khartoum he made similar statements refusing to elaborate on the topics that led to the delay of the operationalisation of the buffer zone.
Sudanese government officials said in the past weeks they want Juba to disengage with the Sudanese rebels and to prevent their presence in its territory.
Khartoum also refused an offer by the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to facilitate a peace deal with the SPLM-North but Khartoum said this issue can be considered after the implementation of the security deal.
(ST)