GINEINA - (Sudan Tribune) The Sudanese President Omer Al Bashir said his country’s border with Chad will no longer serve as a crossing point for illegal arms and rebel groups.
Al Bashir, who addressed a crowd in West Darfur state capital, Gineina at the start of a tour in the region, praised the joint Sudanese-Chadian border force, describing it as “model for establishing security and stability along the border between the two countries”.
He added that the experience of the joint force has stirred the admiration of the UN Security Council and the African Peace and Security Council, commending efforts of the Chadian President Idris Deby in strengthening cooperation between Khartoum and N’djamena.
Al Bashir stressed that the joint border with Chad would serve the common benefits and interests not the smuggling of illegal weapons or the sheltering of the rebel groups.
He pointed out that the continental road would soon connect Port Sudan to Adri town in Chad, saying the railway would also link Port Sudan with Gineina and N’djamena.
In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other’s insurgents.
The joint border force has been deployed along the joint border in 2010 in line with a deal to stop support to rebel groups and cross-border attacks.
Earlier this year, the two countries announced their intention to expand the deployment of the joint force to include counter-terrorism and disarmament.
Also, incursions by Sudanese and Chadian from Libya should push the two countries to consider the redeployment of a joint in the triangle border area.
The Sudanese President renewed his government’s intention to impose the state authority, collect illegal arms and amend the social fabric, calling on the Darfurians to settle their differences peacefully.
In April last year, Sudanese President Omer Al Bashir announced the formation of a national body, Darfur Disarmament Higher Committee (DDAC), tasked with the collection of illegal arms in the region, adding the campaign will be voluntary in a first phase and then become compulsory.
Last month, Vice President and head of the DDHC Hassabo Abdul Rahman kicked off the campaign during a five-day tour to Darfur’s five states.
The disarmament of armed groups and tribesmen is seen as an important step that will create a suitable atmosphere for security and stability in Sudan’s western regions.