Salva Kiir discusses Sudan’s security deal with SPLM-N rebels
September 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir discussed with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) the implementation of security agreement signed between the two countries.
The meeting also discussed the implementation of an agreement reached by the defence ministers in the two Sudans concerning the opening of the crossing points, border monitoring and the formation of joint forces, the statement further said.
Last June South Sudan’s Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and his Sudanese counterpart Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Ouf signed an agreement providing to activate the buffer zone between the two countries and the deployment of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission (JBVMM) before to open 10 crossing points on the common border.
The Sudanese rebels welcomed the efforts of South Sudan in support of peace in Sudan, and expressed willingness to provide the needed efforts for the successful implementation of this agreement between the two countries.
“SPLM-N welcomes every effort to defuse tensions and improve relations between the two countries. As the SPLM-N controls a considerable part of the international border between the two countries, it has expressed readiness to carry out its duties in all that would contribute to the implementation of this agreement, especially the SPLM-N has no military presence in the State of South Sudan,” says the statement.
Last August during a visit to Khartoum, the South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai vowed to expel Sudanese rebel groups from his country within 21 days and to implement the security agreement signed between the two countries since September 2012 within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement.
Also, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs recently said the south Sudan didn’t implement its pledges and warned that “Juba’s failure to commit itself to this agreement entails stopping the transit of humanitarian aid through Sudanese territory to the South Sudan”.
Besides the SPLM-N, Khartoum claims that Juba harbours also rebel groups from Darfur region and asks that the South Sudanese government should also evict them.
The SPLM-N and the Sudanese government are expected to meet during the upcoming weeks to resume discussions over cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access.
The parties diverge only on the SPLM-N demand to allow direct transit of 20% of the humanitarian assistance through the Ethiopian border, a matter that Khartoum rejects.
However, the African Union mediation continues to hold informal discussions with the two parties in order to narrow the gaps over this point.
The SPLM-N said they highly value the sheltering of nearly 300,000 Sudanese refugees in the neighbouring country, and are looking to end the war and to reach a just peace with Khartoum to pave the way for the return of refugees to inside Sudan.
The SPLM-N delegation to Juba was led by its Chairman Malik Agar, secretary general Yasir Arman, SPLA-N chief of staff Gen. Gagod Mukwar and his deputy Ahmed Alomda Badi
The statement said they met with President Kiir, his deputies Taban Deng Gai and James Wani Igga, defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and a number of security officials.
(ST)