(VOVworld) – Sudan President Omar al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Sudan Salva Kiir on Tuesday agreed to stop supporting rebels and prepare for the reopening of 10 border gates between the two countries.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (L) and his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir, attend a press conference at Khartoum airport on 4 November 2014 (Photo: AFP)

The two leaders also agreed to name the head of a joint administration for the disputed are Abyei, stressing Sudan’s role to mediate between the warring parties in South Sudan. A Joint Political and Security Committee is scheduled to meet this month to implement a security agreement and define the borders of a non-military buffer zone between the two countries. The two leaders showed their determination to resolve remaining obstacles to peace and agreed to establish a joint committee to address Sudan’s foreign debts and restart the campaign to remove the US sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.