Kiir and Bashir spoke by phone during Juba clashes

Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir made a telephone call on Monday to his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir as violent clashes unfolded in Juba.

Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir made a telephone call on Monday to his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir as violent clashes unfolded in Juba.

Kiir assured Al Bashir the situation in Juba was stable and secure ‘following the incidents that happened Sunday night and Monday morning’.

For his part, Bashir underscored the importance of security and stability in South Sudan for the interest of the two sister nations.

Also on Monday, Sudan’s First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih called James Wani Igga, the vice-president of South Sudan.

Salih too was assured that the security situation in Juba was stable. The Sudanese First Vice-President also affirmed the ‘importance of prevalence of security and stability for the interest of the two sister nations.’

Sudan and South Sudan signed in September 2012 a series of cooperation agreements, which included citizenship rights, security issues, border trade, and sharing oil revenues. Last March, the two countries signed an implementation matrix for the implementation of the Addis agreements.

File photo: Presidents Omar Al Bashir and Salva Kiir (UN photo)