Khartoum and Juba delay joint security meeting to Monday
December 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan and South Sudan have delayed their meeting on the implementation of security arrangements until Monday after failing to agree on its agenda.
The two parties did not agree last November in meeting held in Juba on the implementation of security arrangements signed on 27 September, as Sudan says it includes the disarmament of SPLM- North fighters in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and South Sudan denies that.
The African Union mediation did not given its position on the failure to implement the security protocol as it is seemingly worried by the lack of progress on other files, such as the disputed Abyei area and the talks between Khartoum government and rebels in Southern Kordofan.
Initially the meeting of the joint political and security committee was to be held on 5 and 6 December but it was later announced for 8 and 9 December.
The two delegations headed by defence ministers Abdel-Rahim Hussein and John Kong Nyuon transferred their meeting to the headquarters of the ministry of defence in Khartoum far from the media to discuss ways to implement the security arrangements.
Informed sources said the parties maintain their previous positions adding they may strike a deal in Monday’s meeting on some of the contentious issues but excluded an agreement on SPLM-N disarmament.
Sudanese officials say Juba has to recall the SPLA soldiers in the two regions and disarm them as they did for SAF members from South Sudan in the past. Juba on the other side say the rebels are no longer linked to its army since the independence.
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir has offered to facilitate an agreement with the rebels on the basis of 28 June 2011 agreement which provides to re-establish the political partnership between the ruling National Congress Party and the SPLM-N and to integrate its fighters in the national army.
(ST)