Sudan, South Sudan border commission to meet on Saturday
February 22, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Joint Border Commission (JBC) between Sudan and South Sudan would hold its ninth meeting on Saturday in Khartoum.
Head of Sudan’s border commission Muaz Tango told the semi-official Sudan Media Center that the three-day meeting will discuss border issues between the two countries.
He pointed out that the recent meetings held in Addis Ababa have made significant progress on the issue of border description, saying the upcoming meeting aims to complete the description in order to submit it to the presidents of the two countries.
Claimed and disputed areas of Sudan and South Sudan border include Abyei, 14-Mile area, Joudat Al-Fakhar, Jebel al-Migainais, Kaka, and Kafia Kingi enclave (Hofrat al-Nahas).
Since South Sudan’s 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.
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.
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)