Sudan and South Sudan Leaders Agree to Meet - New York Times

President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan has agreed to meet with President Salva Kiir Miyardeit of South Sudan on Friday in Ethiopia to discuss border security and oil sharing, the official Sudanese news agency reported Tuesday. In New Year’s speeches, both presidents promised increased cooperation. On Tuesday, Mr. Bashir said he was committed to achieving peace with South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became an independent state. The two countries signed an agreement last September to end hostilities and work on resolving issues, including how to share the oil wealth and contested border areas. “The call now is for establishing good neighborly relations, cooperation and implementing all items of the agreement,” Mr. Bashir said. Mr. Kiir, in a speech on New Year’s Eve, said he would withdraw troops from border areas, though he did not specify when. “To be able to establish the border monitoring mission, we are temporarily withdrawing our forces from the immediate border areas,” he said, according to Reuters.