Juba — The Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Sudan and Republic of South Sudan issued today statement on the meeting of His Excellency the President of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, Chairman of the current session of IGAD, General Abdel Al-Fattah Al-Burhan and His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan on strengthening the relations between the two countries,
SUNA publishes below the full text of the statement:
1/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan are honored to issue this joint statement on behalf of the presidents of the two countries, His Excellency President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who met in South Sudan today, corresponding to January 12, 2023. This was in response to a kind invitation from President Salva Kiir Mayardit to his brother, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
_ Security in the two countries is the highest priority, as the state of instability and security in either country is transferred to the other country. Therefore, the talks focused on supporting stability in the two countries through political, economic and security cooperation.
- The two presidents affirmed their political commitment to ensuring freedom of movement, residence, ownership and work for the citizens of the two countries, and the two presidents called on the concerned authorities in the two countries to expedite the required steps.
-The two presidents acknowledged that these freedoms are essential to support stability in the two countries. In this regard, the two presidents referred to the activation and revitalization of the cooperation agreements that were signed in September 2012, and directed that all technical mechanisms be reviewed and activated within one month.
-The two presidents stressed the importance of maintaining stability and security along the border and promoting peace and prosperity in the two countries. Bearing this in mind, they agreed to form a joint security force to prevent the infiltration of illegal weapons and to fight negative forces on the common borders. In addition, the two presidents directed the concerned security sectors to start immediately as quickly as possible.
-The two presidents affirmed that the task of establishing internal peace in each of the two countries is the first and only task of the national security forces. The two presidents acknowledged that the bilateral cooperation approach would contribute to addressing security and internal issues with high efficiency in the two countries, and that the two countries would hold periodic meetings for the concerned national security forces in order to exchange intelligence information and coordinate actions to face potential challenges. The presidents of the two countries pledged their ability to address security challenges internally. The two countries will also assume their responsibilities towards enhancing security and stability, and the two heads of state will involve the countries of the region if necessary.
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-To ensure that the border is a source of strength and prosperity for Sudan and South Sudan, the two presidents called on the existing mechanisms related to the Abyei region to redouble their efforts to determine the final status of the region and to enhance economic, developmental and societal cooperation, calling on the mechanisms to hold joint meetings in accordance with the meeting held in Khartoum on the twenty-fourth of October 2022. - The two presidents pledge their commitment and readiness to work together to serve the interests of the peoples of the two brotherly countries and the peoples of the region. - Issued on January 12, 2023 - Juba - Republic of South Sudan.
