Sudan, South Sudan Agree On Citizenship And Border Demarcation

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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This new development comes after the two representative parties from the two countries resumed post secession talks last week in Addis Ababa mediated by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

“The Government of South Sudan and the Government of the Sudan have today initialled two agreements on the status of nationals of each State and the demarcation of their common boundary,” an AUHIP statement released to the press read.

“Under the agreement on nationality, nationals of each State will now enjoy in the other State the following freedoms: freedom of residence; freedom of movement; freedom to undertake economic activities; and the freedom to acquire and dispose property,” the statement read.

These freedoms will enable Sudanese and South Sudanese to retain historical connections and thereby contribute to peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness between the two nations. 

The Parties have also agreed to form a Committee on the status of nationals of the other State and related matters. The Committee will immediately begin its work before the Presidents sign the agreements in two weeks’ time.

The fate of South Sudanese in Sudan after this month ends according to Khartoum’s arrangements is questionable as they will be treated as foreigners there.

Since time immemorial South Sudanese have lived as citizens in Khartoum but only became non citizens after South Sudan seceded from Sudan 8 months ago.

However, early post secession arrangements compelled Khartoum not to immediately consider South Sudanese as foreigners immediately after the secession.  

According to the AUHIP statement, the agreement on the demarcation of the boundary and related issues provides the basis for commencing the exercise of demarcating what is believed to be Africa’s longest boundary.

It establishes key joint institutions to manage and implement the demarcation exercise. These include the Joint Border Commission, a Joint Demarcation Committee and a Joint Technical Team which will be established within weeks of signing the agreement.

The statement said that, the initialled agreements will be signed by Presidents; Salva Kiir Mayardit of the Republic of South Sudan and Omar al-Bashir of the Republic of Sudan at a summit of the two leaders to be held in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

The parties have also renewed their commitment to continue negotiations in good faith and to arrive at agreements which will ensure the economic, political and security viability of both States.