Negotiators representing Juba and Khartoum have made significant progress in talks on the security file with only days remaining before the adjournment of the current round of talks. Sources reported that they expected the imminent signing of an agreement on borders and security.

In light of the progress, the African Union mediator, Thabo Mbeki, has proposed a meeting between the presidents of Sudan and South Sudan to be held the day following the closing of the round.

Reliable sources asserted that the negotiations yesterday witnessed a major breakthrough on the security file. The progress in the talks was still termed incomplete complete but was put about 80%. The breakthrough in the security file came as another committee to deal with economic issues concluded drafting framework agreements on oil, debt, trade and pensions. The committee handed the mediation draft agreements which are ready for signature, and referred the issue of Abyei to be discussed in the summit between presidents Omar Al Bashir and Salva Kiir.

The heads of the two delegations, Mohamed Abdelgadir and Pagan Amum, on Monday held prolonged meetings with the African Union mediation, and the Khartoum delegation stipulated that South Sudan should withdraw from the area of Mile 14 without condition. Khartoum put this as a condition to accept the map Mbeki offered on the buffer zone between the two countries. It is not clear whether South Sudan accepted this condition.

It is also expected that the chief mediator will try to bring together SPLM-N negotiators with Khartoum’s negotiators on the regions of Southern Kordofan and the Blue Nile.