Sudan, S.Sudan agree to open border crossings

Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to open ten crossing points on their shared border that was closed after South Sudan broke away from the rest of the country in 2011.

During bilateral talks in Ethiopia, brokered by the African Union, the two countries’ representatives said that the opening of automobile, rail and river crossings on the Nile would boost cross-border trade.

Last month Sudan and South Sudan announced their decision to pull back their troops 10 km away from the disputed border.
On Tuesday, however, the commander of the UN peacekeeping contingent, General Johannes Tesfamariam, said he could confirm the pullout only after more than 1,000 peacekeepers had arrived in the demilitarized zone.