December 30, 2017 07:53
December 29, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The governor of Blue Nile State Hussein Yassen on Thursday has attended the opening session of the regular meeting between Sudan’s army 4th infantry division and Ethiopia’s army12th infantry division in Ed-Damazin.
In his address before the meeting, Yassen praised roles of the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in sponsoring and supporting joint meetings between the armies of both countries.
According to the official news agency SUNA, Yassen also hailed stances of the governor of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region Al-Shazali Hassan to promote border relations between the two sides.
The governor of the Blue Nile also stressed keenness of the regular forces to support cooperation and coordination to strengthen security and stability on the border areas.
He further expressed hope the recommendations of the meeting will enhance relations, joint interests and contacts between the two sides.
For his part, the commander of Sudan’s army 4th infantry division, Major General Ahmadan Mohammed Khair al-Awad, underscored keenness to support cooperation with the Ethiopian side to enhance the stability of the border areas.
On the other hand, the commander of Ethiopia’s army 12th infantry division, Brigadier General Berhanu Talfun, commended the level of cooperation and coordination with the Sudanese army’s 4th infantry division.
In 2009, Sudan and Ethiopia signed a military protocol for a period of three years dealing with the development of the armed forces and ways to secure the common border between the two countries.
Last September, the joint Sudanese-Ethiopian military commission agreed to develop a five-year plan including all aspects of cooperation contained in the 2009 military protocol.
Sudan and Ethiopia last October signed a memorandum of understanding providing to enhance joint security and military cooperation between the two neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.
Also, in March 2016 during the 14th meeting of the joint Sudanese-Ethiopian technical committee in Khartoum, Sudan proposed to deploy joint border units on the border between the two countries.
SOURCE – (ST)