The meetings of Sudan and South Sudan Joint Security and Political Committee started in the capital Juba on Friday.

This comes after the UN Security Council called on Sudan and South Sudan to withdraw from the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone. The Council also urged both countries to start implementing a timeline for verifying the functioning of 10 border crossings and free movement across the border.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, South Sudan’s Assistant Chief of Defense Forces, Johnson Juma said the Friday meeting was a follow-up of previous meetings held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The top army general pointed out that the implementation of joint security agreements will improve the security situation in the two countries.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s deputy army chief, Mustafa Mohammed Ahmed said Khartoum will work to achieve the objective of the joint security mechanism. He thanked the African Union for supporting the committee.

The Sudanese military official expressed optimism that the joint security committee will reach an agreement on border issues.