Ali Karti, Sudan’s foreign minister, announced last Friday that Khartoum received an ‘apology’ from Juba regarding the delay in pulling its forces from the border regions.

The apology cited the late fall rains as causing logistical problems that prevented the immediate withdrawal of troops.

Both sides are meant to be establishing a demilitarized buffer zone along the vast border in accordance with the Addis Agreement signed in September.

In a remarks carried by Radio Omdurman on Friday, Karti asserted that joint committees between the two countries are continuing to finalize the rest of the issues which were agreed on in Addis Ababa.

He also stated that the South Sudanese forces have partially withdrawn from the border and that others will withdraw after the roads dry.