Sudan, Central African Republic agree to boost military cooperation
November 5, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and the Central African Republic have agreed to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries to enhance stability in the two countries and prevent polarization amid tribes on the border area between the two countries.
The Minister of Defense of the Central African Republic Marie-Noëlle Koyara was in Khartoum on Monday for talks with its Sudanese counterpart Jamal Mohamed Ahmed and also met with the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
In press statements following the meeting with al-Burhan, Defence Minister Mohamed Ahmed said the countries reiterated their commitment to their strategic relations and cooperation to maintaining security and protecting the Khartoum agreement for peace in the Central Africa Republic.
Also, the two sides agreed to “work together to combat organized crime and play a positive role in stopping the polarization and counter-polarization amid the tribes o the border area”
” It was also agreed to review joint military protocols and agreements to enhance military cooperation in all fields in the common interest,” he stressed.
The CAR government and 14 armed groups reached a peace agreement last February in Khartoum with the support of the United Nations. The aimed at ending the fighting between Christian anti-Balaka and Muslim Seleka militias which are waging war against each other for more than six years.
However, the clashes erupted again in July and September 2019 between armed elements of the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) and the Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice (MLCJ) and resulted in 38 deaths.
The MLCJ and the FPRC, both from the former Séléka, first clashed on July 14 in the village of Am-Dafock, on the border with Sudan, before to resume in Birao, 60 kilometres from the Sudanese border.
The visiting Minister Koyara, in her statements, pointed to the fighting in Birao and thanked Sudanese authorities for their continued support within the framework of the tripartite border force including the CAR, Chad and Sudan, but also underlined the support that Sudan provides under bilateral agreements.
” So, we think that it is urgent to solve the problems around Birao so that it is not yet used by the enemies of peace,” she added.
(ST)