South Sudan, Sudan leaders agree to boost security, trade-Xinhua

South Sudan, Sudan leaders agree to boost security, trade

Source: Xinhua| 2023-01-13 02:51:00|Editor: huaxia

JUBA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Thursday met his Sudan counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to discuss ways of stabilizing political, economic and security cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders met in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where they reiterated their commitment to ensuring freedom of movement, residence, acquisition of property and employment for all citizens of their respective countries, Mayen Dut Wol, the undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told journalists.

Dut said Kiir and Al-Burhan, who is the chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, deliberated on key issues ranging from the implementation of the 2012 cooperation agreement, to trade and security along the border corridors between the two neighboring countries.

He said the two leaders also emphasized the importance of maintaining stability and security along the borders to promote peace and prosperity for the two countries. The two leaders agreed to establish a joint security force to prevent infiltration of illegal weapons and combat negative forces and activities along the border corridors. The two countries also agreed to address other relevant agreements, especially the mechanisms to speed up the implementation of the recently extended peace roadmap.

President Kiir and his First Vice-President Riek Machar, and other parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement in August 2022 agreed to extend the transitional period which was due to expire in December 2023.

The transitional period will now elapse in 2025, but the parties are to hold elections in February 2024.

Dafallah Al-Haj Ali, Sudan's undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the meeting focused on ways to fast-track the implementation of the peace agreements, security issues and bilateral cooperation.

In 2020, South Sudan's government helped mediate peace between the Sudan transitional government led by Al-Burhan and various armed opposition groups in Juba.

In September 2012, Sudan and South Sudan signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa under the patronage of the African Union. The agreement included a package of understandings relating to security, citizens' status, border and economic issues and others relating to oil and trade.

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