Delegates representing the governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan have signed today in Addis Ababa a key agreement on border security establishing joint political and security mechanisms.
The parties agreed to establish a 20-kilometre wide demilitarized corridor along the January 1, 1956 border, ten kilometres inside both sides of the border.SAF and SPLA forces have to pull out from the demilitarised zone within ten days.
The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, made up of Ethiopian troops, was tasked with the protection of the border monitoring mission.
The deal was brokered by Thabo Mbeki, the head of AU Implementations Panel.
The AU welcomed the agreement as a significant contribution towards the ongoing efforts to create stable and peaceful relations between the two states.
It urged the two parties to conclude all the necessary agreements and arrangements to create a soft-border between the two Sudanese States.