Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to reopen borders last week after a high-powered government delegation led by the Minister of Defense Anjelina Teny visited Khartoum.

The development was a move to implement the Cooperation Agreement signed in September 2012 in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa but remained redundant due to outbreaks of political turmoil in the two countries.

Addressing the media at Juba International Airport prior to her departure to Khartoum last week, Anjelina said the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement between the Sudanese political rivals has created an opportunity to resolve outstanding matters relating to bilateralism.

“We are going to do our best to see that we address those outstanding issues. We feel that the time is very opportune with the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement and it’s an opportunity to start afresh,” Anjelina said.

The Joint Political and Security Mechanism, a body formed to protect the borders, was at centre of the discussions between the Sudanese and South Sudanese government delegations.

Political and Security Mechanism was established by the Cooperation Agreement and it handles issues pertaining to the border security, and economic relations between South Sudan and Sudan.

The security mechanism was established with the support of the African Union to implement the security arrangements agreed upon on 27 September 2012 particularly a buffer zone preventing cross border attacks by rebel groups.

Anjelina said the parties should have reached the agreement in March this year but the outbreak of the novel coronavirus put the initiative to a halt.

“This is a meeting that is largely rotational and it is a product of the Cooperation Agreement that South Sudan and Sudan signed in 2012. Said Paul Mayom Akech, the Minister of Interior Paul. In that agreement, Akech said, security aspect is a separate protocol that addresses the issues that are related to security matters along the border”.

Akech added that the meetings would also address the issues of trade and banking, freedoms.

He added that there was a need to look in to the issue of transportation and the training of police and civil defense.

Beatrice Khamisa Waine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said it was the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to coordinate issues and to follow fix some diplomatic gaps that may arise.

“Things to do with pension for some of our people who worked in South Sudan and we also have a number of South Sudanese residing in Sudan and Sudanese residing in South Sudan. We want to ensure that they exist wherever they are peacefully,” she said.  

Beatrice added that South Sudan shares a very large border with Sudan and she wants to make sure that the supports on the ground are adequate.