South Sudan, Sudan leaders discuss bilateral relationship

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok discussed bilateral relations on Thursday.

Hamdok arrived in the South Sudanese capital of Juba for a two-day visit that is expected to focus on bilateral issues and the current political situation in South Sudan.

He is accompanied by his ministers of trade, defense, foreign affairs, and several advisors.

Kiir said Hamdok’s visit will prove the two countries are ready to serve their people as intended in the cooperation agreement of Sept. 27, 2012.

“I want us to have strong security-related cooperation on border security, intelligence and protection of civilians. We must not allow those who rebel against any of our two countries to operate in our territory. We must refrain from providing military or logistical support to such destructive groups,” said Kiir. “The cooperation agreement which we signed in September 2012 covered all essential things the people of the two sisterly countries deserve. This time is ripe for the government of two sisters to work together to implement whatever we have agreed in the cooperation agreement.”

“As you all know, we wasted a long period of time fighting each other then we wasted many other more years fighting internally. Only wars and conflict have not only resulted in great loss of many precious lives but wasted resources and deprived our people of development and critical services,” he added.

Hamdok said that Sudan is ready to address issues that are beneficial to the two countries, and that Sudan and South Sudan need to show an example to the rest of the world.

“South Sudan and Sudan will continue to cooperate, we need to work together and develop our countries,” said Hamdok.