Sudan: Al-Bashir discusses border security with Chadian PM ‘Padacké’

Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and Chadian Prime Minister Albert Padacké Tuesday discussed bilateral ties and ways to tighten control of the borders between the two countries.

In press statements following the meeting, Padacké said the meeting dealt with the joint border force between the two countries, pointing the two sides are keen to promote their economic, political, security and trade relations.

He stressed that Chad welcomes the Sudanese investments, saying they encourage businessmen from both sides to launch investment projects in the other country.

In the same context, Padacké discussed with First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih ways to enhance bilateral relations to serve the common interests.

He pointed that his country has benefited from Sudan’s sea port, Port Sudan in the imports of goods, saying Sudan also facilitates border trade between the two countries.

The Chadian Prime Minister further met with Vice-President Hassabo Abdel-Rahman in the presence of a number of ministers and state ministers from both countries.

The meeting discussed several issues of common concern and in particular the economic, trade, security and cultural cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other’s insurgents.

The joint border force has been deployed along the joint border in 2010 in line with a deal to stop support to rebel groups and cross-border attacks.

Earlier this year the two countries announced their intention to expand the deployment of the joint force to include counter-terrorism and disarmament.

The two sides announced their desire earlier this year to expand their forces to include with Chadian forces deployed in some 20 border posts between the two countries.