The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union welcomed the success of the extraordinary meeting of the Joint Political Security Mechanism between the South Sudan and Sudan, held in Addis Ababa from March 16 to 19.
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma commended South Sudan and Sudan for their exceptional efforts to meet the very tight timelines for operationalisation of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone.She called on the United Nations Security Council to extend its full support to the process, urging the members to authorise the additional 1,126 personnel, including support elements, as requested by UNISFA, to facilitate force protection for the monitors of the Joint Border Verification Monitoring Mechanism.
The meeting was co-chaired by the two Ministers of Defence, John Kong Nyuon from South Sudan, and Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein from Sudan, and facilitated by Abdusalami Abubakar, member of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan.
UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) Force Commander, Ethiopia General Yohannes Tesfamariam, said both parties met their obligations with regard to withdrawal to their side of the border.
He announced that national monitors were in the process of being airlifted to the Joint Border Verification Monitoring Mechanism Headquarters in Kadugli.