Sudan and South Sudan pledge to ease border tensions
South Sudan’s Defence Minister John Kong said last week that his country would try to establish the demilitarisation zone.
Both Sudans said they would begin to withdraw forces -- a key strand of last year’s agreement between the long-standing foes.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit ordered the nation’s army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), to start moving out of the border areas this week. The neighbouring states have agreed to deploy their troops 10 kilometres from their side of the border.
We believe that true negotiations must be based on the principle of peaceful coexistence of South Sudan and Sudan.”
Kiir stressed that the ongoing negotiations between the Government of South Sudan and Sudan are critical for both nations. We believe that true negotiations must be based on the principle of peaceful coexistence of South Sudan and Sudan,” he said.
Conflicts along the border regions have caused tension between the two nations after South Sudan became independent in 2011. When the south seized control of the border town of Heglig last April, many observers feared war between the two countries.
The new security measures were created during three summits held by the presidents of the two countries. Two summits were held in 2012 and one took place earlier this month.
The new security measures come on the heels of the Africa Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) non-aggression proposal which was presented to the two presidents in 2012 and was adopted by The Africa Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).
The spokesperson of the Government of South Sudan Barnaba Marial Benjamin urged both sides to adhere to the agreement. The UNSC needs to hold the law breakers responsible,” Marial said, accusing Sudan of breaking the non-aggression agreement signed in 2012.
Since the new security measures were signed on March 6, there have been no new complaints of violence along the border.
Communities living along the borders hope that the new agreement can finally usher in peace. A report by South Sudan’s Human Rights Commission detailed how ongoing conflicts have taken a high toll on the local populations.
The African Union and the international community are expected to continue to monitor activity along the border.
