South Sudan to dispatch officials to Sudan over security matters
September 22, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir will soon dispatch a team from the foreign ministry and representatives from other institutions to visit the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, over bilateral matters, according to a senior official.
“The undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs will soon go to Khartoum and when he is there, it will be an opportunity to discuss these issues. It is not wise to use the media,” said Makol.
The foreign ministry official denied the government was harbouring Sudanese rebels, saying it was not in the interest of the two countries to host and support hostile groups with vision to destabilize the other.
“This is the first time Sudanese have been accusing and threatening to close the border. They have been doing but we say this is not the right way because even us we have issues. We feel they are supporting the rebels fighting us and this is not just an allegation. There are evidences but we say we can use the agreement and other diplomatic mechanisms to address these issues amicably,” he said.
His denial of harbouring Sudanese rebels has contradicted the admission by the First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, when he recent agreed with the Sudanese authorities during his visit to Khartoum that South Sudan will expel Sudanese rebels from its territory.
Also, Military Spokesperson of the South Sudan army, Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang acknowledged that the Sudanese rebels would be expelled by the army once the directive has been issued by the top political leadership.
Makol said the two countries would never avoid being neighbours and so it is therefore important to embrace each other to advance what would promote the interest of the two viable states in the region.
“Sudan and South Sudan are the countries in the region sharing longest border line. Apart from this, we are not going to stop being neighbours. This is why [it] is important to embrace each other,” he stressed.
The two countries have been accusing each other of supporting rebels against the other.
(ST)