Sudan, South Sudan mull joint forces to protect oilfields in South

The Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti disclosed that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit have discussed forming joint forces to protect oilfields in the South Sudan. In a press conference upon arrival in Khartoum after accompanying President Al-Bashir during his visit to Juba Monday, Karti said the two countries may unveil specific arrangement for the issue. He added that the proposed forces will be deployed on the borders between the two countries. Karti stated that Sudan has agreed on a request from South Sudan to provide it with more than 900 Sudanese petroleum industry technicians to work at the oil production areas under supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum of South Sudan. Sudan has also agreed to open its door for any citizen of South Sudan without any procedure and to allow him to go to any place and to carry out their life normally as the situation in the past, he said. He pointed out that the two Presidents discussed implementation of the Cooperation Agreements, the security, the borders and determining the demilitarized zone. Karti affirmed Sudan keenness to continue extending humanitarian aid to South Sudan. He said that President Al-Bashir has advised South Sudan government to abide by peaceful solution for the dispute in South Sudan, adding that Sudan is standing for start of the negotiations between the disputing parties even there are outstanding issues and without conditions. He noted that President Salva Kiir refuses to release rebel detainees and stresses that they have to undergo trial according to law and that those who are innocents will be set free. Karti underlined that Sudan did not intervene in this issue.