South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir is scheduled to visit Sudan’s capital Khartoum following the NCP convention over the weekend, according to the SPLM-Juba secretary of research Henry Wani.
Kiir is expected to hold talks with Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to discuss issues of mutual interest and bilateral relations between the two countries.
In press statements in Khartoum, Wani confirmed the visit, saying the trip was postponed due to the NCP convention that concluded Saturday in which al-Bashir was endorsed as party leader for another five years.
Wani had met with deputy NCP chairman Ibrahim Ghandour in Khartoum, where they discussed bilateral relations. The SPLM member described the relationship of the two countries as historic and that they cannot be diminished.
He added that SPLM participation in the NCP convention came at the invitation by the Sudanese ruling party leadership to show the strength of relations between the people of Sudan and South Sudan and between the parties.
Reactivation of border crossings
Separately, Sudan’s General Union of Transport announced that new border crossings will be opened to reactivate trade between Sudan and South Sudan.
On 23 September, South Sudan’s Minister of Roads and Bridges Kuong Danhier Galuak visited Khartoum where he discussed issues of transport and roads with his Sudanese counterpart.
Shams El Kamal Hamad Diab, an official in the transport union, said a joint committee between the two countries had been formed to implement the opening of new checkpoints.
He said that the new border crossings include three checkpoints in South Darfur and five in West Kordofan and South Kordofan states.
Shams El Kamal further said new border crossings will also be established in Blue Nile and White Nile, adding that fourteen new entries will be opened total between the two countries.
He reiterated their readiness to reactivate transport and movement of goods between the two countries after security, technical, and administrative arrangements are completed in South Sudan.