South Sudan, Sudan Resume Security Talks after Years-long Hiatus

South Sudan and Sudan have resumed high-level political and security talks in Juba after a multi-year hiatus, bringing together senior defence and security officials to discuss border security and other issues between the neighbouring countries. A Sudanese delegation arrived in Juba on Sunday for meetings of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), a bilateral forum established under the 2012 Cooperation Agreement between the two countries. South Sudan’s Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Chol Thon Balok, welcomed the delegation and said the talks were aimed at strengthening security cooperation between the two countries. … The JPSM was established following the 2012 Cooperation Agreement, which was reached after South Sudan’s independence to provide a framework for addressing political and security disputes between the two countries. The resumption of the mechanism comes as both countries face significant security and economic pressures, including the continuing war in Sudan that erupted in April 2023. Sudan’s conflict has also affected South Sudan, which hosts large numbers of Sudanese refugees and relies heavily on Sudan’s infrastructure to export its oil. (Radio Tamazuj)