The AU welcomed the progress made in the negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan to implement the stalled cooperation agreements they signed last September.
The African Union High Level Implementation Panel said in a press statement issued on Saturday in Addis Ababa that during the extraordinary meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, chaired by the Panel, the parties made substantial progress.It added the negotiators agreed a detailed and time-bound implementation timetable covering all security issues; a timetable for processing security-related complaints and concerns of the Parties; and the speedy establishment of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone.
The panel said it was encouraged by the continued engagement of the delegations towards the implementation of the cooperation agreements.
The AU statement contrasts with the one issued on the same day by the negotiators of South Sudan accusing Sudan of delaying the implementation of the agreements.