The African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, received the two Co-chairs of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) between Sudan and South Sudan, Honorable Michael Makuei, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of the Republic of South Sudan and Honorable El-Rashid Haroun, State Minister at the Presidency of the Republic of Sudan, on the margin of the Commission’s Fourth meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting held under the auspices of the African Union Border Program (AUBP), is expected to pave the way for the implementation of the planned activities of the JBC in accordance with the Agreement on Border Issues signed on the 27, September 2012 between the two countries.
The Commissioner stressed the importance to build on the dynamic momentum between the two countries in order to give more impetus to peace efforts in the region. He further stated that he was encouraged by the positive atmosphere of the meeting and the genuine cooperation the two parties are extending to the AU Commission including, the determination of their respective governments to demarcate the common boundary between both countries.
The fourth meeting of the JBC is an encouraging development in the implementation of the AU Border Program whose two core objectives are the delimitation and demarcation of borders and the promotion of cross-border cooperation.
