Photo: Isaac Billy/UN Photo Khartoum — In a surprising turn of events, Sudan has announced a major breakthrough in talks with South Sudan, saying all obstacles facing the implementation of a border security deal they signed in September have been surmounted, but it is not clear whether the two sides managed to break the deadlock over Khartoum's demands that Juba disarms the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).
According to the official spokesperson of the Sudanese army (SAF), Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa'ad, members of the Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSM) of the two countries reached a deal at the conclusion of their latest round of talks held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
Quoted in a report published by Sudan's official news agency, SUNA, on Wednesday, Sa'ad said that an agreement of 11 points was reached to overcome all the obstacles that faced the implementation of the eight cooperation agreements signed between the two countries on 27 September.
The deals signed included an agreement to resume South Sudan's oil exports via Sudan but Khartoum insisted that Juba must first implement the border security deal and sever alleged ties with the SPLM-N which is fighting the Sudanese government in the country's border regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Two rounds of JPSM meetings in Juba and Khartoum failed to break the deadlock as South Sudan complained that Khartoum is making impossible demands by asking Juba to disarm SPLM-N which fought as part of South Sudan army before independence.
SAF's spokesperson said he expects the sub-deal to "lead to concrete work in the field of disengagement and cessation of support to rebel groups in particular and security arrangements in general"
Al-Sawarmi said that the two sides had agreed to "implement all the agreements relating to security arrangements and activate border monitoring mechanisms and verification of complaints." Furthermore, he said the two sides agreed to create a timeframe for the implementation of all the agreed agendas, adding that the two sides will also begin technical and administrative preparations to open cross-border routes.
He went on to say that the agreement also confirmed that military forces of both countries will withdraw from all disputed areas and operationalize the implementation of the demilitarized safe border zone as agreed under the security deal.
According to Al-Sawarmi, the two sides agreed to ensure that no states will recruit fighters from the other and verify the demobilization of fighters from the other country "through the procedures agreed for that"
Sudan accuses Juba of maintaining ties with SPLM-N which Khartoum continues to refer to as the ninth and tenth divisions of South Sudan's army SPLA.
Al-Sawarmi also said that the joint commissions will create timeframes for the deployment of monitors to verify the implementation of the buffer demilitarized zone.
Sudan's announcement comes as a surprise given the fact that South Sudan's top negotiator Pagan Amum said on Tuesday that the talks are deadlocked. "The talks now are deadlocked and, essentially, I see these talks as having collapsed because Sudan has taken a new strategic position opposing the development of cooperation between the two states," he told Reuters in an interview.
Amum said he sees no point in continuing the talks and that Juba should start looking for alternatives to export its oil.
SAF's spokesperson said that the JPSM will hold its next meeting on 13 January in order to assess progress in implementation what has been agreed.
Sudan's interior minister Ibrahim Hamid, meanwhile, confirmed to Al-Shorog TV that the current round of talks adjourned until 13 January when the contentious issues will be discussed.
Hamid said that the talks produced an agreement to setup a mechanism to oversee implementation of the security deal.
He added that the mechanism will be chaired by the commander-in-chief of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and consist of officials from both sides.
The minister said he personally opines that the round achieved a great breakthrough in many issues but he declined to divulge more details.
There is no comment from South Sudan so far on the developments announced by Khartoum.
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"I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT THE BLACK MAN IS MUCH WIZER THAN THE WORLD THINKS !!!!!!.. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THESE TWO BROTHERS WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT , MAKING NO ADVANCES AND LIFE PASSES THEN BY..' IN AFRICA MOST CONFLICT IS MANIPULATED BY OUTSIDE IN THE INTEREST OF GREED!!. CONFLICT POVERTY SANCTIONS ARE WAYS TO KEEP PEOPLE HUNGRY,DISPLACED, TRAUMTISED ,WEARY.. SHOULD AFRICA CONTINUE TO SUFFER THE MOST OF THE DISPLACED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THE MOST OF THE CONFLICT REGIONS IN THE WORLD THEN WE HAVE NO FUTURE ??. THEN WE WILL HEAR CONSTANTLY FROM THE MOUTHS OF OUR FORMER ENSLAVERS THAT WE ARE NOT READY 'THEY WILL HAVE TO GIVE US AID FOR DECADES TO COME"!!!!!!. "THIS IS TRULY A FACLACY. IN ALL OF SUDAN THE EVERY CORNER THERE IS MINERALS THERE ARE FERTILE LANDS THE POTENTIAL FOR EVERYONE LIVING A LIFE OF MID INCOME EARNERS IS NOT BEYOND REALITY WITHIN A FIVE YEAR PERIOD". "MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ONLY YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE WINNERS!!!! "THESE ARE YOUR RESOURCES' THAT NEEDS YOUR BRAINS! TO MANAGE IT FOR THE BENIFIT OF ALL THE PEOPLE!!. THERE ARE NEW NATIONS IN AFRICA HAVING A DISCUSSION ON HOW TO MAKE THESE WONDERFUL GIFTS FROM THE "ALLMIGHTY GOD" BENIFICIAL FOR ITS INTENTED PURPOSES!!!. 'WE KNOW THAT"ALLAH "IS MOST WIZE' AND IN HIS FORESIGHT" HE" HAS PROVIDED MANY RICHES SO THAT NO ONE IN THESE PLACES EVER HAS TO SUFFER'; AS WAS THE CASE IN REGARDS TO THE FORMER ENSLAVERS'. "IT IS OUR DUTIES AS AFRICANS TO UNITE UNDER ONE BANNER 'A BANNER OF SOLIDARITY TO REMAIN FREE INDEPENDENT OWNERS OF LAND AN RESOURCES!!!!." IT IS OUR DUTY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRIONMENT AND OT ALLOW THE SOIL TO BE OUR PARENTS' BY KEEPING IT FERTILE AND USING TO PLANT THE CROPS THAT WILL BENIFIT THE MANY PEOPLE!!!!. THERE IS A NEED FOR MANY FRUITS VEGETABLES BANNANAS BREADFRUITS MANGOS COCONUTS DATES PLUMS OLIVES THERE IS SO MUCH THAT CAN BE HARVESTED TO FEED THE MANY AND TO EXPORT FOR THE MANY!!!. "IF THERE IS WAR ?IF THERE IS CONFUSION ?THEN WE WILL NEVER SEE THAT WE DESERVE THE RICHES AND WEALTH THAT IS A GIFT FROM "ALLAH" TO US HIS BENFICIARIES""". WE MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES AND USE OUR MINDS' OTHER THAN THE TOOLS OF SATAN!!!!. "THE MORE I ANALASYE THESE WEAPONS THESE TERROR IMPLIMENTS ,THEY ARE SO EASY TO USE, THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF DOING IS KILLING YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHY???? BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PLAYING GOD ??" IN AFRICA ES PECIALLY WHERE WE HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH ILL WILL' FROM THE ENSLAVERS EXPLOITERS EXTOTIONIST THE ROGUES OF CREATION!!!. WE ARE THE EARTHS RIGHETOUSS AND NOBLE PEOPLE " ,CONTARRY TO ANY HISTORY THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO TEACH US'. "WE ARE THE EARTHS FIRST' AND WE ARE THE CREATORS OF CINVILIZATIONS!!!! THIS IS WHY, WE IN OUR GREAT MINDS NEVER HAD THE REASONS TO BUILD SUCH MECHANISMS OF MASS DESTRUCTION BECUASE WE KNOW IT IS WRONG".. " DEEP IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF ALL BLACK PEOPLE 'THE TRUTH IS ALIVE'!!, WE ARE AWARE THTA SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO IS NOT RIGHT!!!!. IT IS TIME FOR US TO FOLLOW OUR OWN AGENDAS', NOT ONE THAT IS BEING PRESCRIBED FROM WITHOUT!!! WHEN EVER THE IDEA OF WAR COMES TO MIND CALL YOUR BROTHERS AND SPEAK FIRST GET TO THE BOTTOM OF ALL PROBLEMS;ROOT OUT WHAT IS NOT RIGHT!!. AS FOR THE BROTHERS WHOM ARE STILL FIGHTING IT IS TIME FOR DEEP TALKS, TALKS THAT WILL ENABLE THE MASS OF PEOPLE TO ACHEIVE THE PROSPERITY THAT IS WHAT THESE RESOURCES ARE GIVEN TO US FOR'#. "IF WE DO NOT USE OUR MINMDS AND TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT WHICH IS TO WAR AN CONFLICT WE WILL BE ENSLAVED BY ECONOMICS AND IGNORANCE". "A WIZE MAN KNOWS WHEN IT IS TIME TO CEASE HOSTILITIES AND BUILD". WE MUST LOOK AT LIBYA SYRIA WHERE WE SE OUR BROTHERS IN ENDLESS MURDEWRING OF THIER OEN ANOTHER ALL FOR THE INTERST OF WHOM ???> THEY THINK THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES BUT THAY ARE BEING MANIPULATED AS IF THEY WERE PUPPETS ON A STRING!!!!!!!!!!!!. "TODAY IT IS THE AIM OF AFRICA TO BE INDEPEDNDENT AND FULL OWNERSHIP OF ITS RESOURCES. WE HAVE NOTHING TO SELL WHEN IT COMES TO LAND, THESE ARE THE LANDS OF OUR ANCESTORS FORE FATHERS THESE ARE THE LAND OF THE CHILDREN. "THIS IS THE TIME IN HISTORY WHEN THE BLACK MAN IN AFRICA MUST KNOW HIM AND HERSELF!!!!!! THIS IS NOT THE PERIOD FOR PROCRASTINATION!!! WE MUST SETTLE DOWN AN USE THE WIZE INTLLECT THAT IS OURS TO DEVELOP AN ALTERNATIVE CIVILIZATION THAT IS NOT A CARBON OF WESTERN DECADENCE AND FOLLY!!!. WE MUST RESPECT OUR BLOOD SPILLED IN OUR LANDS ARE USED TO BENIFIT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE'!!!. "WE ARE NOT BLOOD THIRSTY NOR ARE WE SAVAGES' IT IS TIME TO REST' TIME TO BUILD"".. "NO MORE DISPLACEMENTS' THE CHILDREN ARE WEARY, WE MUST STOP HURTING OUR CHILDREN'""".MY BROTHERS LISTEN TO YOUR HEARTS DO THE RIGHT THING ? SHOULD WE NOT HAVE BEEN STALLED BY THESE INDIFERENCES; INSTEAD OF US BEING ALL EQUAL 'AS WAS THE PURPOSEOF OUR CREATION !!, THERE IS NO MAN GREATER THAN A NEXT MAN"; WE COULD HAVE HAD MORE DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH SUDAN AS MORE GRADUATES ENGINEERS COULD HAVE COEM DOWN GOT A CONTRACT AND STARTED HIRING PEOPLE TEACHING MORE CHILDREN, BUILDING ROADS INFRASTRUCTRE TO MOVE AGRICULTURE AND MORE SCHOOLS TO TEACH THE CHILDREN HOW TO KEEP THE LAND SAFE FROM PESTS AND POISONS. THERE SHOULD BE HOUSES FOR THE ELDERLY NICE APARTMENT BLOCKS THAT THEY COULD SIT IN WITH RUNNING WTAER FLUSHING TOILETS ELECTRIC HAVE COOKING STOVES BUT YOU WILL FIND THAT MANY STILL LOVE THE INTERACTION WITH NATURE COOKING OUTSIDE EVEN WITH MODERN EQUIPMENT. MY BROTHERS THE THE TIME TO BUILD IS NOW. "JUBA SHOULD BE A MODERN AFRICAN CITY IN FIVE YEARS IF NOT SOONER!!!!!. JUBA SHOULD HAVE HAD ALL THE RIGHT THINSG IN PLACE THE SEWARS THE MANGEMENT FOR WASTE , ROAD NETWORKS EVEN A LITTLE OVER HEAD RAIL SYSTEM TO KEEP THE PEOPLE MOVING FROM ONEN END TO ANOTHER. THERE SHOULD BE STTELEMENST OF MID INCOME HOUSES BEING BUILT FOR EVERY ONE!!! ALL THOSE WHO FOUGHT AS SOLDIERS SHOUDL BE ABLE TO MOVE THIER FAMILIES INTO NICE SIZED HOUSES EVERY ONE.. 'THREE, FOUR EVEN FIVE BEDROOM HOUSES.. THESE ARE THE SUBURBS YOU WANT TO HAVE FOR YORU EVTERANS THEY SHOUDL HAVE NEW SKILLS NOW HELPING IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY REFUSE HAS TO EBCOLLECTED DAILY THERE MUST BE SWEEPERS CLEANERS OF THE ROADS.THERE IS ANEED TO BUILD RAPIDLY ROUND THE CLOCK WITH JOBS GOING FOR EVERYONE!!!. THIS IS A BUILDING BOOM FOR SOUTH SUDANESE THERE IS A CITY TO BE COMPLETED AND OTHERS TO MODELED. THERE IS LOVE IN ALL SUDANTHERE IS CITIZENSHIP OF ALL SUDAN!!." ALL SUDANSESE HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS EQUALS LET US WORK TO REALISE EACH OTHERS DREAMS "".. LET US LEAVE THE GUNS ASIDE FOR A FEW YEARS LET US PICK UP THE PEN THE COMPUTERS THE PHYSICS BOOKS THE ALGEBRA CALCULUS CHINESE MATHEMATICS LET US USE THE BRAIN FOR BUILDING!!!. THERE WILL BE A RIGHT FIGHT AND WE HAVE NOT REACHED THAT POINT IN HSITORY YET, NO MATTER THE PROVOCATION LOOK PAST THAT WALK AWAY FROM IT BUIDLING IS THE PEACE PLAN THAT WILL UNIFY ALL SUDAN!!!!! SDANESE ARE ALL STILL BROTHERS AND SISTERS THE TRIBALISMS THE SECTARIANISMS MUST NOT BE A DIVIDER IN THIS GREAT LAND"" AFRICANS ARE WIDE AWAKE!!!!!!!!. "REMMBER THERE WILL BE THE SPOILER WHO WILL WHISPER IN YOUR EAR, TH RUMOUR MONEGRER WHO WILL SAY THAT WILL BI OIL YOUR BLOOD BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT IS THE PLNS OF THE DEVIL;; BY THIS TIEM YOU KNOW WHO THESE DEVILS ARE DO NOT LET THEM BACK INTO YOUR HEARTS"... " WHEN THERE IS LOVE UNITY THERE IS ALLAH ' PEACE" IS HIS NAME"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!