South Sudan's President Salva Kiir ordered army units to withdraw from their positions at the border with neigbouring Sudan.

He said the troops should move at least five miles south of the common border of 1 January 1956, in accordance with the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Kiir said the borders must be calm for the sake of the people living there. Kiir said he hopes his "brother," Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, will respond positively to the call to normalize relations, and open up common borders for communication, trade, and relationships.

He also announced he dispatched a special envoy to Khartoum in December to solve border issues, while today he declared a personal commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Sudan.

"We need to work closely with our brothers and sisters in Khartoum, to normalize all our relations," he said. "We will reactivate all the committees concerned with this matter."

The disputed 14-mile area between Sudan and South Sudan.