Sudan, South Sudan withdraw from SDBZ

Sudan and South Sudan have announced they will withdraw troops from the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ) on Sunday. Sudanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein made the announcement following a visit to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Both countries have resolved to withdraw military presence in the SDBZ as part of a signed agreement which has reportedly paved the way for disengagement between South Sudan and anti-Khartoum armed groups such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). State representatives from both countries will meet again on March 17 to finalise new security arrangements, Hussein said. The news represented a “breakthrough,” he claimed. “This opens the door for more agreements between Sudan and South Sudan.” The 10-kilometre SDBZ strip covers the 2,000-kilometre border between the two countries.