Sudan, South Sudan Armies to Form Joint Military Forces

SPLA soldiers stand in a vehicle in Juba, South Sudan, December 20, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo
SPLA soldiers stand in a vehicle in Juba, South Sudan, December 20, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo
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Sudan, South Sudan Armies to Form Joint Military Forces

SPLA soldiers stand in a vehicle in Juba, South Sudan, December 20, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo
SPLA soldiers stand in a vehicle in Juba, South Sudan, December 20, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo

Sudan’s army confirmed its agreement to conduct joint military exercises with the South Sudan Army and to work on resolving outstanding security files between the two countries.

Both states are working towards implementing joint Juba-Khartoum cooperation agreements before the end of 2018.

Sudanese Army chief Lieutenant General Kamal Abdel Marouf said the talks with his South Sudan counterpart General Gabriel Jok Riak in Khartoum on Tuesday were fruitful and discussed areas of joint training and the formation of joint forces.

The two reiterated efforts being exerted on enforcing solutions for all outstanding issues between the two countries.

A deal was reached on the "implementation of joint cooperation agreements between the two countries,” said Sudanese army spokesman Brigadier General Ahmad Khalifa Al-Sham in a press statement.

Good cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan armies is the key for a strong relationship between the two neighbors.

Riak discussed the implementation of the security arrangement following a recent agreement to launch the operationalization of the buffer zone between the two countries last September in Addis Ababa.

According to a statement, he said the Sudanese efforts to narrow the gaps between the South Sudanese parties in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development-led peace process has encouraged Juba to go ahead in the implementation of the security arrangements and to strengthen relations with Khartoum.

Talks focused on developing bilateral relations and building good ties between armed forces in both countries as a gateway for settling other files of common interest.

Sudan and South Sudan agreed in September 2012 to establish a demilitarized zone on the disputed and non-delimited border to prevent cross-border attacks by paramilitary groups from both sides.



Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
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Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable it blamed on Israel.

"All internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip have been cut following the targeting of the last remaining main fibre optic line in Gaza," the PA's telecommunications ministry said in a statement, accusing Israel of attempting to cut Gaza off from the world, AFP reported.

"The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that its maintenance and repair teams had been unable to safely access the sites where damage occurred to the fibre optic cable.

"The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday", it said, adding that Israeli authorities had prevented repairs to other telecommunication lines in Gaza "for weeks and months".

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communication lines were "directly targeted by occupation forces".

It said the internet outage was hindering its emergency services by impeding communication with first responder teams in the field.

"The emergency operations room is also struggling to coordinate with other organisations to respond to humanitarian cases."

Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that "mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity" in Gaza for the time being.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure across the Palestinian territory, including water mains, power lines and roads.