KHARTOUM, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government has announced the completion of withdrawal of its forces from the demilitarized zone on the border with South Sudan, Khartoum's Almeghar daily reported Monday.
"The Armed Forces no longer have any presence south of the border line with South Sudan, the 1/1/1956 border line, according to the map presented by the African mediation committee to the two countries," Sudanese defense minister Abdul-Rahim Mohamed Hussein was quoted as saying.
"The withdrawal of the forces from the demilitarized zone comes as part of the commitment to the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution No. 2046 and the security arrangement agreement between Sudan and South Sudan," the minister said.
The minister further reiterated Sudan government's willingness to reactivate the mechanisms agreed upon by the two countries to achieve peace, security and stability on the joint border.
Last week, Khartoum and Juba signed in the Ethiopia capital Addis Ababa a matrix deal of modality to implement the security arrangement deal as well as the cooperation agreement signed between them in Ethiopia last September.
Two days later, the two sides started withdrawing their forces from the joint border prior to establishing a safe demilitarized zone as a practical step towards the implementation of the signed agreements.
The two sides further agreed to resume South Sudan's oil exportation through Sudan's pipeline in two weeks' time.
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