Sudan and Chad reach new pact on border security
- Details
- Category: International
- Published on Sunday, 07 February 2010 04:26
- Written by The New Sudan Vision (NSV), www.newsudanvision.com
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(NSV) Sudan and Chad on Friday reached a border security agreement after four years of cross-border wrangling.
“In the agreement, both countries will each send three thousand troops to secure the border. Sudan will lead the command of the joint border monitoring forces in the first six months,” Miraya FM has reported.
The war in Darfur and civil war in Chad promted both governments to trade accusations that each side had a hand in the wars.
Diplomatic relations began to soar between Khartoum and N’djamena in December 2005 when Chadian President declared war on Sudan, accusing president Bashir of trying to “destabilize our country, to drive our people into misery, to create disorder and export the war from Darfur to Chad.”
Chadian rebel groups, believed to have the backing of Janjaweed and the Sudanese government, almost overthrew the government of President Idriss Deby.
“On May 11, 2008 Sudan announced it was cutting diplomatic relations with Chad, claiming that it was helping rebels in Darfur to attack the Sudanese capital Khartoum.”
In 2007, both countries managed to resolve their animosity by signing a pact in Saudi Arabia.
According to reports by aid organizations, the strained Chad-Sudan relations have affected humanitarian works intended for Darfur refugees living along the border.
According to Miraya FM, some details of the Friday include commitment and a “time frame for troop deployment.”
“Al Geneina, in northern Darfur, will be headquarters to joint forces during that time. Both host countries are to assist the joint forces, militarily or politically, if and when boarder security is frail.”
“The Joint Military and Security Command will meet on February 8th for logistic planning and military briefs. Troop deployment at observation points must be complete by February 25th, latest.”
