The demilitarisation of Mile 14 area in the border of Northern Bahr El Ghazal is a temporary deal set to pave way for post-session negotiations.
South Sudan and Sudan last Thursday signed nine agreements including one on border security creating a 20-kilometer demilitarized corridor between the two countries.The parties also agreed to demilitarise Mile 14, a contested grazing area south of River Kiir.
National Deputy Interior Minister Salva Mathok Gengdit was Thursday’s guest at Bakhita Radio Wake up Juba morning show.
He explained that the demilitarisation of Mile 14 is a temporal arrangement to give room for the two parties to prepare their claims over the area.
Mr Mathok said both the SPLA and SAF will be out of the demilitarised zone and UN and monitoring forces from both side will be deployed.
He added that the agreement allowed Arab nomads to graze their animals in the area without guns but not to settle.
The deputy minister explained that it would be up to Dinka Malual to decide whether to renegotiate the agreement.
Mr Mathok said South Sudan agreed to move its troops 14 miles south of River Kiir and Sudan 25 miles north without affecting the population in the area.
He added that the Mile 14 administration is under the Government of Northern Bahr El Ghazal and local chiefs.
Mr Mathok said the claims over the 14 miles would be solved peacefully through negotiation after both parties presented documentation to prove their claims.