The Joint Border Commission (JBC) of Sudan and South Sudan agreed this week to establish an escrow account to pay for the demarcation of the border between the two nations.

The JBC met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for three days concluding on 18 March, as part of the African Union Border Programme (AUBP).

"The signing of the Agreement marks a new step in the implementation of the Cooperation Agreements signed, between Sudan and South Sudan, in September 2012, under the auspices of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel," read a statement from the African Union.

The two sides also agreed that each country would contribute an equal number of technical experts to a committee to carry out the demarcation exercise, and adopted terms of reference for the committee.

The agreement was signed by South Sudan's Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth and on the Sudanese side by State Minister at the Presidency Al Rasheed Haroun Adam.

The March meeting was the third time the JBC has convened.