KHARTOUM, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sudan and South Sudan on Tuesday agreed to redeploy their forces outside the safe demilitarized zone on the two countries' joint border.
The two countries' joint political and security commission concluded its sessions in Khartoum Tuesday and the minutes of the meetings were signed by Sudan's Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf and his South Sudanese counterpart Kuol Manyang Juuk.
"It has been agreed on reactivation of the joint political and security commission and the joint border verification, besides redeployment of the two sides' forces outside the safe demilitarized zone," said Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shami, Sudanese army spokesman, in a statement Tuesday.
He noted that the two sides have agreed to implement these axes within less than a month and the joint political and security commission is to meet in Juba, capital of South Sudan, in January 2018 for evaluation.
The commission on Tuesday embarked on intensive meetings in preparation for the visit of South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to Khartoum on Wednesday.
Sudan and South Sudan have failed to implement a comprehensive cooperation agreement they signed in September 2012 in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa under the patronage of the African Union.
The agreement included a package of understandings related to security, citizens' status, border and economic issues and others related to oil and trade.
However, the signed agreements did not tackle the issues of Abyei and border demarcation.
The border issue represents one of the biggest obstacles hindering the settlement of differences between Sudan and South Sudan, revolving around six border areas, including Abyei, Mile 14, Dabatal-Fakhar, Jabel Al-Migainis, Samaha and Kafia Kanji.
