KHARTOUM, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Talks of the joint political and security committee between Sudan and South Sudan, held in Addis Ababa, have stalled due to differences over the issue of breaking the link between Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/ northern sector and South Sudan's army, Khartoum's Al Sahafa daily reported Tuesday.
"Differences have crippled the resumption of the talks of the joint political and security committee between Sudan and South Sudan, namely with regard to breaking the link between the SPLM/ northern sector and South Sudan's army," the report said.
The paper quoted responsible sources at the talks as saying that the differences focused on Khartoum's adherence to agreeing on a mechanism to verify the matter of breaking the link and clearing an area of 40 kms south and north of the joint border from movements anti to the two countries as a priority, while Juba expressed reservation under the pretext that the matter was resolved before the signing of the cooperation agreements in September last year.
It added that the African Union mediation mechanism was embarking on formulating a proposal to save the talks from collapsing, particularly that the success of the talks is associated with the resumption of the south's oil pumping through Sudan's territories according to the recent agreement between the two sides.
Last week Khartoum and Juba signed in the Ethiopia capital Addis Ababa a matrix deal of modality to implement the security arrangement deal as well as the cooperation agreement signed between them in Ethiopia in September last year.
Two days later the two sides started withdrawing their forces from the joint border prior to establish a safe demilitarized zone as a practical step towards the implementation of the signed agreements.
The two sides further agreed to resume South Sudan's oil exportation through Sudan's pipeline in two weeks' time.
