AU urges Khartoum and Juba to implement Cooperation Agreement

June 10, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The African Union (AU) Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Friday has urged Sudan and South Sudan to implement the Cooperation Agreement signed between them on 27 September 2012.

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. However, the execution of the agreements didn’t go according to the plan.

Last Sunday, the Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC) between the two countries signed a series of security agreements, including immediate re-deployment of joint military forces along the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), and approved a plan to stop supporting and harbouring rebels as well as opening the crossings points.

In a statement issued on Friday, Zuma expressed satisfaction with the signing of the security agreements, urging the two countries to implement the joint Cooperation Agreement signed between them on 27 September 2012.

Zuma also underscored her full support for the Sudanese/South Sudanese higher committee and the African Union Border Programme (AUBP) to implement the agreements reached by the JPSC.

She praised the outcome of the JPSC meeting which was co-chaired by the defence ministers, stressing her support for the implementation of the agreements signed between the two sides.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9th 2011 following a referendum on whether the semi-autonomous region should remain a part of the country or become independent. 99% of the southern voters chose independence.

Relations between the two nations soured after South Sudan’s independence following a series of disputes over a number of issues.

(ST)