Sudan, S. Sudan agree on technical details of border demarcation

March 20; 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and South Sudan agreed on technical details related to the demarcation of the joint border, the African Union said on Friday.

Since the South Sudan independence the agreed border between the two countries is not yet demarcated (marked on the ground). Also, talks between the two sides continue to delimit the remaining 20% disputed boundary.

Following a three-day meeting held in the Ethiopian capital under the auspices of the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), the two sides signed two agreements in order to demarcate the 80% agreed border.

“The Joint Border Commission (JBC) of the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan concluded, on 18 March 2015, in Addis Ababa, its 3rd meeting, with the signing of an Agreement for the establishment of an Escrow Account to meet the cost of demarcation of the boundary between the two States,” said a statement issued on Friday.

The parties further adopted the “final list of the members of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) consisting of equal numbers of surveyors, cartographers and other relevant experts from each State.

The meeting also endorsed the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Joint Demarcation Committee (JDC) to manage and supervise the boundary demarcation exercise.

The deal was inked by South Sudanese information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, and Sudanese state-minister at the presidency al-Rasheed Haroun Adam.

“The signing of the Agreement marks a new step in the implementation of the Cooperation Agreements signed, between Sudan and South Sudan, in September 2012, under the auspices of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP),” said a statement issued by the African Union.

(ST)