Khartoum and Juba agree on disarmament cooperation

November 9, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The neighboring states of north and south Sudan agreed on joint cooperation in the areas of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, community security projects and control of small arms as well as promoting peace building between border communities.

Arms retrieved during a 2007 disarmament campaign (ST)

Delegates from the two countries met in Addis Ababa from November 6-7 under the auspices of the African Union Commission.

The director of Community Security at the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) in Sudan Mahmoud Zein El-Abdeen said that the two countries agreed to form a committee from both sides to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations and decisions of their meetings.

"Implementation of the recommendations will commence immediately once endorsed by the leadership of the two countries" he said.

Zein El-Abdeen said that the representatives of the African Union, United Nations organizations and donors, affirmed their full commitment to supporting the implementation of the decisions in order to achieve peace and security between the two countries .

He pointed out that the meetings were held with the support of the German Bonn Centre for Peace with the participation of the AU, mediator Thabo Mbeki, UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

(ST)