President Salva Kiir Mayardit with Sudanese Minister of Defence Hon Yasin Ibrahim Yasin and and top security officials of two countries during a meeting in J1 on Wednesday in Juba - credit | Office of the President Press Unit - Sept 8, 2021

A high-level security delegation from Sudan is in Juba to discuss mechanisms that will ensure safe movement ahead of border reopening.

Last month, Sudan and South Sudan agreed to reestablish four border crossing points, namely: Jebeleen- Renk, Meiram, Buram-Tumsah and Kharsana-Panakuac.

The official reopening is expected to take place in Jebeleen on the 1st of October.

Joint security and political mechanism teams are currently meeting in Juba to agree on cross-border security and the facilitation of trade.

The Sudanese Minister of Defense, accompanied by senior officials from the Sudanese Ministry of Interior, Police, and the National Security met with South Sudan’s Inspector General of Police.

Among the issues being discussed by the security team are ways to address smuggling and human trafficking.

They also met with President Kiir’s Security Advisor, Tut Gatluak.

Tut Gatluak says all the heads of the security services are among the visiting delegates.

“The interest of the South Sudanese people is for the borders to reopen, and how to open the roads linking the two countries is the reason the visiting delegation is here. It includes all the heads of the security services to discuss these issues.” said Tut Gatluak.

For his part, the Sudanese Minister of Defense Yassin Ibrahim Yassin said these meetings develop roadmaps for sustainable relations between the two countries.

“In the last visit of the Sudanese Prime Minister, an agreement was reached, and an arrangement was made. So now our presence here is to work out mechanisms beyond the outcomes of the previous visit.” Yassin Ibrahim said.