Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, has managed to broker an agreement between Khartoum and Juba under which the two sides will open 10 points along their long and complicated borderline to allow for the smooth movement of goods and persons.

The South has recently been complaining that the North, from which most of the commodities come, was frustrating the smooth crossing while the North is saying it was only normal that when one country splits into two, new regulations governing persons and goods movements should be put in place.

It was not clear what spurred the new agreement but the Defence Ministers of both countries -- General Abdul Rahim Hussein (Sudan) and John Kong of South Sudan -- met in Khartoum to sign the deal under the gazing eyes of Mbeki, the head of the African Union High-level implementation Panel.

This is the first agreement between the two sides since separation in July, this year.

The agreement, of which little details were released, was signed in Khartoum Sunday evening when Juba's security team, led by Kong, flew to Sudan -- the first such trip since separation.

The 10 border points will cover the whole 2,200-kilometre long borders between the two countries. Each point will be guarded by 18 regular forces, six from Sudan, six from South Sudan and six from Ethiopia who will monitor violations.

According to the Sudan news agency, the points will be for border crossing of goods and people as well as other migration procedures.

'This is an important step,' Kong said, stressing that it was 'a very important' step in the interest of the two peoples, the agency quoted the official as saying. 

Pana 19/09/2011