Sudan, South Sudan reach security deal in Ethiopian capital

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir, who met six times since Sunday, are expected to sign the deal on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The pact will pave the way for resumption of oil exports from South Sudan through its northern neighbor, the spokesmen for both sides said on Wednesday.

Khartoum and Juba have been under the UN Security Council pressure to settle their border differences through the African Union mediation.

    The two sides also agreed on a demilitarized border buffer zone. Under the deal, troops must withdraw ten kilometers from the de facto line of control along the border.


However, they failed to reach an agreement on a series of border zones claimed by both sides.

"We will talk about the claimed areas in future talks," said El-Obeid Morawah, the spokesman for Sudan's Foreign Ministry.

The two states have been contesting over the ownership of regions along their border, particularly the flashpoint oil-rich Abyei region.

The UN Security Council has called for a quick demilitarization of the border zones, with the UN Chief Ban Ki-moon urging both leaders to put an end to their disputes "so that their summit concludes with a success that marks an end to the era of conflict."

The neighbors are trying to revive their economies after coming close to all-out war along a disputed frontier in April.