The suspended negotiations over the disputed border between Sudan and South Sudan are unlikely to restart anytime soon, according to a new report from the Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based monitoring group.
Instead, in a new report, the group argues that both countries have “a vested interest in not agreeing on a final border” or in removing troops from disputed border areas.
Since South Sudan’s independence more than three years ago, there have been consistent clashes along the border as each government attempts to “gain territorial advantages on the battlefield that can later be translated into gains at the negotiating table.”
The two sides have also continued to trade accusations over support of smaller armed rebel groups operating in the border region.
The fighting and ongoing militarization of the zone has caused trade between the two countries to remain sporadic.
The SAS report concludes there is little hope of creating a stable border zone until the security is established in both countries.