AU border program completed first phase between South Sudan and Sudan

[Juba, South Sudan, TCT] African Union Border Program [AUBP] has completed its first phase of opening the crossing corridors of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone between South Sudan and Sudan.

AUBP through its technical team, announced the completion marking the exercise for the three of the ten crossing points along the corridors of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone between South Sudan and Sudan.

In a statement seen by TCT, the exercise was in line with the directives issued by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel as well as the Joint Political and Security Mechanism on South Sudan and Sudan.

‘’The marking of the corridors signifies an important milestone in the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement between Sudan and South Sudan’’ the statement said.

It said the mark is to make a conclusive technical determination about where the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ) center-line is on the ground to enable the parties to withdraw their forces within the zone and to facilitate the free movement of people and formal trade between the two countries. The African Union applauds the governments of South Sudan and Sudan for the exercise.

‘’The Commission of the African Union expresses its appreciation and gratitude to the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan for their engagement, cooperation and support in facilitating the marking of the three crossing points along the corridors of the SDBZ’’ it added.

The Commission assure the two countries of AU’s commitment to assist them in marking the remaining border crossing points of the SDBZ.
Last month, South Sudan Council of Ministers approved the establishment of a Safe Demilitarized Zone along the common border with Sudan that had been earlier agreed upon.

A document prepared by the Joint Political and Security Committee identified four areas for its implementation. The Safe Demilitarized Zone is made up of temporary lines that enable establishment of the buffer zone between Sudan and South Sudan. According to the Cooperation Agreement, each side will create a ten-kilometer buffer zone of the areas identified.