Juba hopes outstanding issues with Khartoum be resolved “as a package”

February 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – South Sudan has called for resolving all outstanding issues of the cooperation agreements signed with Sudan during the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC) scheduled to be held this month.

In September 2012, both Sudan and South Sudan signed a series of cooperation agreements, which covered oil, citizenship rights, security issues, banking, border trade among others.

In March 2013, the two countries signed an implementation matrix for these cooperation agreements, but only the oil deal was implemented. Khartoum blames Juba for ignoring the other deals.

South Sudan’s deputy head of mission to Khartoum, Kau Nak said all outstanding issues would be implemented as one package, adding the implementation of the agreement will help his country overcome the consequences of the armed conflict.

Nak told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) Sunday that the committees would meet to determine the zero line and the border crossing between the two countries, saying those committees include representatives from the ministries of defence, interior, trade and finance besides the bureaus of taxation and customs.

On Tuesday, Sudan’s higher committee for the implementation of the cooperation agreements headed by the First Vice President Bakri Hassan Salah renewed call for the implementation of the cooperation agreement, saying it would ask Juba to hold a meeting for the JPSC.

Last December, the third meeting of the JSPC which was scheduled to be held in Khartoum was postponed for internal Southern Sudanese security reasons.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan in July, 2011, following a referendum held in January of that year.

(ST)