Khartoum and Juba postpone security meeting

November 4, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and South Sudan agreed to postpone a meeting of the joint security committee between the two countries aiming to discuss the baseline for the demilitarized security zone called zero line.

Presidents Omer Al-Bashir and Salva Kiir agreed last October to expedite the identification of a zero line to create a safe demarcated border zone along the shared border before mid-November.

The Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC) rapporteur, Al-Moiz Farouq announced on Monday that the fifth meeting which had been scheduled for Tuesday 5 November was postponed to allow more time for the AUHIP advisory committee to achieve its mission.

The meeting was supposed among others to discuss the outcome of the AU panel on this respect.

The creation of the zero line is proposed by the African Union mediation team because the two countries did not reach an agreement on border demarcation, but they need to activate a buffer zone between the sides to prevent cross-border attacks by rebel groups.

On the other hand, the African mediation on Monday announced that the 3rd petroleum monitoring committee (PMC) began in Juba on Monday 4 November.

The committee which is chaired by the Nigerian Emmanuel Egbogah is tasked with the monitoring of the oil transportation agreement between the two countries .

Talks between the two countries within the PMC framework further aim to reach an agreement over the rights of Sudan National Petroleum Corporation in South Sudan.

When the two countries signed this deal in September 2012 they failed to agree on SUDAPET rights.

(ST)