Khartoum & Juba to hold meeting over rebel groups

May 8, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese side of the Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC) between Khartoum and Juba, headed by Sudan’s defense minister, Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein has extended invitation to his southern counterpart to attend the first meeting of the committee which will tackle the issue of rebel groups in the two countries.

The pro-government Sudanese Media Center (SMC) quoted an informed source as saying that South Sudan’s intelligence director has agreed to attend the meeting scheduled to be held next Monday in Khartoum, adding that it will discuss issues and concerns of the two countries regarding rebel groups.

Last March, Sudan and South Sudan agreed to form a joint committee mandated with addressing concerns and complaints which may constitute a violation to the MOU on Non-Aggression and Cooperation of 14th February 2012, as well as the Mutual Cooperation Agreement of 27th September 2012.

The first meeting of the JPSC comes at a time when South Sudan lodged a strongly worded complaint to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the killing of Abyei tribal leader Kuol Deng Kuol.

“We hold the government of Sudan responsible because those who killed the chief are under the control of the government of Sudan. They are no stranger to Sudan”, South Sudan’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Nhial Deng Nhial said Tuesday.

Sudan constantly accuses South Sudan of supporting rebels fighting in two states that border South Sudan. Juba denies supporting the rebels, known as Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), and in turn accuses Khartoum of backing insurgents on its territory.

But last month Sudan army cleared Juba from involvement in attack staged by rebels in North Kordofan which took the South Sudanese government and observers by surprise.

(ST)